The film, starring Daniel Craig as the stylish spy, was set to open on April 2. But MGM announced on Thursday that it would postpone the action film until October 8.
This is the third time the film has been postponed since the coronavirus pandemic began. It was originally scheduled to open in theaters in North America on April 10, 2020.
The change in the schedule of “No Time to Die” is a symbol of the impact of the pandemic in Hollywood. The 25th film in the Bond series was the first major film to be postponed because of the pandemic, but it was far from the last.
Other films, like Warner Bros. ‘”Wonder Woman 1984″, made a hybrid release, debuting in theaters and coming out on HBO Max on the same day. Some films like Pixar’s “Soul” and Disney’s “Mulan” skipped US theaters entirely, opting to debut in streaming.
The delay in “No Time to Die” is a major blow to cinema owners who are desperate to get audiences back. However, moving the film to a later date is a strong sign that it may take months for things to return to normal in the cinema.
Sony also said on Thursday that “Ghostbusters: Afterlife”, the sequel to the popular Ghostbusters franchise, will be transferred from June 6 to November 11.
Now cinema owners, whose businesses were destroyed by the outbreak, and the rest of Hollywood are watching to see if a new blockbuster batch will be delayed in the coming weeks.
The next big films on the calendar are “Black Widow”, which is scheduled for May 7, and “F9”, which is scheduled for May 28.