Despite COVID, No Time To Die Cannot Afford To Delay Again

No Time to Die, the highly anticipated 25th film in the long-running James Bond franchise, might be stuck with its current release date despite the recent surge of COVID-19 cases, as each delay costs millions. 

James Bond fans worldwide have anxiously waited for the next film in the franchise. No Time to Die was initially scheduled for a late 2019 release, but the departure of Danny Boyle as director and co-writer delayed the production, resulting in an early 2020 premiere. However, the coronavirus pandemic further delayed the movie’s release multiple times; the flick is now scheduled to release in U.S theaters on Oct. 8. 

But the recent rise in COVID-19 cases worldwide has already pushed other notable films like Venom: Let There Be Carnage and Clifford the Big Red Dog. Some, such as Hotel Transylvania 4, have elected to skip theaters altogether. But delays may not be in the cards for Bond. According to the Hollywood Reporter, No Time to Die cannot afford another delay, as the previous delays have cost millions of dollars in marketing. 

MGM, the media company that holds rights to No Time to Die in North America, does not currently have a sister streaming service where it can release the latest Bond film, meaning it cannot follow the same path as other movies that released opening day on streaming services. 

This means a theatrical release is required, and another round of losses in marketing costs is not a preferred option. Despite the COVID-19 Delta variant causing havoc around the world, fans might still be able to see Daniel Craig in his last performance as Bond in theaters.

No Time to Die is still scheduled to release in late September overseas and on Oct. 8 in the U.S. Despite the high cost, it is unclear if another delay will be announced.