Producers of the James Bond film franchise have delayed the release date of the film from April to November in response to the outbreak of coronavirus.
Producers of the Bond series, Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, announced that “after careful consideration and thorough evaluation of the global theatrical marketplace, the release of ‘No Time to Die’ will be postponed until November 2020.”
The 25th film in the franchise, titled “No Time to Die”, was expected to be released on 2 April, however, it will now be launched some seven months later on 12 November.
The film is Daniel Craig’s fifth and final appearance as 007, and there has been considerable speculation as to who will replace him.
Craig is expected to host Saturday Night Live this weekend, with promotion for the film already underway.
Billie Eilish’s title song was released in February as part of the film’s promotion.
The first film since the 2015 release of Spectre, the overall budget is an estimated $250 million.
The move to a November release marks the third rescheduling of the film due to a combination of factors including director Danny Boyle’s departure from the film and Craig sustaining an injury to his ankle.
The decision marks Hollywood’s first response to the spread of coronavirus.
At present it is believed China will lose up to $2 billion due to the closure of 70,000 cinemas this year in order to prevent the spread of the virus.
