Daniel Craig's final time as James Bond in "No Time to Die" is being pushed back to a November release [VIDEO], becoming the first Hollywood film to alter its global rollout because of the coronavirus outbreak. Fox News reported on the announcement. The 25th chapter in the 007 franchise will debut Nov. 12 in the United Kingdom and Nov. 25 in the United States, just in time for the Thanksgiving weekend. It's the first Hollywood film to alter its release date due to the virus.
"No Time to Die" is being released in North America under the UA Releasing, while internationally it's being released by Universal.
"No Time to Die" is a "tentpole" project and rebooting a major marketing campaign that was already in full swing is a massive undertaking, but Hollywood insiders believe that millions of dollars were at risk regarding the blackout in China and a massive decline in moviegoing is a serious concern, especially in South Korea, Italy, and Japan.
'No Time to Die' will now open during Thanksgiving weekend
The studios and Bond producers Michael Wilson and Barbara Broccoli issued a joint statement saying that after analyzing the current global market, the upcoming release will be pushed back until November 2020. Universal has said they will move "Trolls World Tour" up to April 10, the date left behind by "No Time to Die."
"No Time to Die's" new release date allows it to make some serious money during the Thanksgiving Holiday rush in North America.
Prior James Bond films have opened in November. The only serious competition "No Time to Die" faces in November, is "Godzilla vs. Kong," which opens Nov. 20.
Hollywood is facing serious setbacks from coronavirus
CNET reports that press events were canceled in China, South Korea, and Japan when the coronavirus first began to spread across Asia, and "No Time to Die's" release was pushed back to April 30.
Just this week, a Bond fan blog, called on the studio to delay the film release and put public health above movie releases.
The coronavirus is a major concern specifically for the Bond franchise, because Bond movies draw a large chunk of their profits from global markets, specifically in China. "Spectre" made over $600 million globally in 2015, with $84 million coming from the Chinese box office.
Hollywood has already been impacted by the coronavirus outbreak. Last week, Paramount was forced to stop production on the seventh "Mission Impossible" film [VIDEO], which was set to shoot in Venice, Italy. They also delayed the release of "Sonic the Hedgehog," in China.
"No Time to Die" will be the last time Daniel Craig carries the persona of James Bond. Fans will see the return of Lea Seydoux, Naomie Harris, Ben Whishaw, Ralph Fiennes, and Christoph Waltz. New to the franchise is Rami Malek, who joins as Bond's newest villain.