MGM, Universal, and EON have postponed the release of the latest James Bond film due to growing concerns caused by the outbreak of the coronavirus. Studios decided to postpone the release date of No Time to Die from early April to mid-November, 2020. According to the Hollywood Reporter, publicity tours for the 25th Bond movie have been canceled in countries like Japan, China, and South Korea.
There are deep worries not only about the disease itself but its effect on the box office as well. Variety claims that revenues in Hong Kong and Taiwan have declined 50% while the box office results have all but dried up in Italy. This is understandable since the audiences will increasingly stay away from cinemas and other public venues and events until the virus is hopefully contained. Releasing a $200 million blockbuster like No Time to Die could result in huge box office losses for the studios.
As the Variety article points out, the coronavirus outbreak could severely disrupt the movie release schedule. With No Time to Die postponed, there’s a decent chance other big-budget movies might follow suit. This, in turn, will result in lower box office earnings overall.
Also: wash your hands. Thoroughly.
