I am on record as saying I don’t think that the new James Bond adventure, No Time To Die, will see the inside of a movie theater in 2020. Looking at Tenet struggling at the box-office and all other studios basically packing their bags and bailing on 2020, I expected it to follow suit.
However there were always two considerations that made 007 movies a little different. Firstly they are a global box-office phenomenon that leans away from the US as the dominant revenue stream. They pick up most of their cash outside the United States. Outside of the US more theaters remain open and trading.
Secondly they are also largely already in the black before they are released, such is the brand power of Bond when it comes to commercial tie ups and product placements. Other brands fall over themselves to align themselves with the franchise.
So there was always a faint possibility that they may just decide “What the hell!” and go for it. The arrival today of a key plank in any Bond movie marketing plan – the music video to the title song – seems to indicate they may be holding fast on that release date. A little over a month out from release is standard, and here it is:
So November 20th in the U.S. and November 12th in the United Kingdom is still a go? We shall see, but so far they seem to think so, clearly. However talk is turning to a second wave of COVID and further lockdowns over the winter.
EDIT: Eon have just announced that the movie will be pushed back again to 2nd April 2021. Looks like our original idea that we wouldn’t see it this year was correct. That also means it’s delayed by a full year from the original release date.
