The original release date for no Time To Die was 2 April 2020 – and very excited I was too, what with that being my birthday.
Now it’s been delayed again from its previous latest slot, November 2020, to 2 April 2021, so at least I don’t have to change my plans.
Apparently this move for 007 was inevitable, though considering all those posters knocking about with NOVEMBER in big letters on them I wasn’t the only one to remain convinced that it was coming out in, well, November.
MGM, Universal and Bond producers, Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, today announced the release of NO TIME TO DIE, the 25th film in the James Bond series, will be delayed until 2 April 2021 in order to be seen by a worldwide theatrical audience. pic.twitter.com/NqHlU24Ho3
— James Bond (@007) October 2, 2020
While I can understand people not being prepared to venture out for TENET, I honestly though Bond was different – that the people who pre-pandemic would go to the cinema for the really big films, the Star Wars franchise, or Marvel, would still come out for Bond.
Turns out I was wrong, so anyone thinking of offering me a job predicting the future of cinema, better think again.
Writer-director Francis Lee – whose much-anticipated Ammonite, starring Kate Winslet and Saoirse Ronan, is closing the London Film Festival – urged people to buy tickets at one of the 500 UK cinemas showing his film on Saturday 17th October. I’ve got my ticket, and I’m very excited about seeing it. (Ignore my friend who refused to come with me because “I bet it’s not as good as Jurassic Park.”)
If we want to still have actual cinemas, we have to put films into *cinemas*. You can see Ammonite at over 500 cinemas on 17th Oct, part of @bfi #LFF thanks to @LionsgateUK commitment to theatrical distribution. If you are able, please go out and support your local cinema ❤️ https://t.co/sQ3k67cjal
— Francis Lee (@strawhousefilms) October 2, 2020
I do feel incredibly sorry for people working in cinemas, who are seeing nearly all the big name movies pushed back again and again – I wonder how long the businesses can actually keep going.
So far, December does still have Dune, Death On The Nile and Coming 2 America scheduled for the 18th, with Wonder Woman 1984 coming out on Christmas Day in the US and Boxing Day here. Let’s hope they stay that way.