The release of the new James Bond film, No Time To Die, has officially been postponed to November due to Coronavirus-related health concerns. This news was shared on the Bond franchise's official Twitter page. "MGM, Universal and Bond producers, Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, announced today 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 film will be released in the U.K. on November 12, 2020 with worldwide release dates to follow, including the US launch on November 25, 2020."
The Bond fans that rallied for the production companies to take this course of action will be satisfied. In an open letter titled "No Time For Indecision", the founders of two James Bond fan sites have urged for No Time To Die to be delayed. The movie's premiere was previously scheduled for April 3, but as news about the Coronavirus outbreak continues to worsen, people are hesitant about hitting up theaters. "With the Coronavirus reaching pandemic status, it is time to put public health above marketing release schedules and the cost of canceling publicity events," reads the letter.
The writers of the letter - James Page, who co-founded MI6 and MI6 Confidential magazine, and David Leigh, who founded The James Bond Dossier - then go on to cite several instances of major preventative actions that have been taken across the world in response to Coronavirus. They also argue for the likelihood of movie theaters continuing to temporarily close, as they can be conducive to the spreading of germs. "Even if there are no legal restrictions on cinemas being open, to quote M in Skyfall, 'how safe do you feel?'"
For these reasons, Page and Leigh are imploring for the release of No Time To Die to be delayed until the summer, "when experts expect the epidemics to have peaked and to be under control." They close the letter with a final compelling argument: "Another few months will not damage the quality of the film and only help the box-office for Daniel Craig’s final hurrah."