No Time to Die reportedly may be delayed until summer 2021. Originally scheduled to come out this April, No Time to Die was the first movie to be pushed back due to coronavirus concerns. It is currently slated to premiere in November 2020, but it remains to be seen if it will actually get to stick to that date. Since the pandemic is a very fluid situation, it's difficult to predict how things will be a couple of weeks from now, let alone a few months. And with COVID-19 cases spiking across the country, the outlook for theaters isn't very optimistic.
It's plausible movie theaters will largely stay closed until mid-2021, as studios might be unwilling to release massive tentpoles at a time when attendance limits are in place and people are wary about going to a theater in general. That combination obviously means fewer box office returns, which is something studios need to consider as they attempt to formulate release slates in the midst of a pandemic. It sounds like the No Time to Die team is looking ahead to next year as a more viable option for their movie.
According to MI6-HQ, Universal and MGM are considering delaying No Time to Die to summer 2021. Nothing is official at this point in time, but it's expected a final decision will be made in the near future, before No Time to Die's marketing campaign goes into full swing.
This development will be frustrating for Bond fans, but from a business perspective, it makes sense. No Time to Die has already lost a considerable amount of money because of its initial delay, so the last thing the studios want to do is dedicate more resources to promoting a movie that won't be able to debut in the fall. Even before the delay, No Time to Die was the most expensive James Bond film ever, so it needs to have a very strong box office run in order to turn a profit. If it's released this year, Universal and MGM would likely lose money on a sizable investment, which is a scenario they'd want to avoid. By waiting until next summer (when, presumably, the pandemic is more under control), No Time to Die stands a better chance at earning a "normal" amount of money.
Much like Warner Bros.' blockbusters like Tenet and Wonder Woman 1984, there's no chance No Time to Die goes straight to on-demand. That model may work for films like Trolls World Tour, but there are still too many uncertainties surrounding it for it to be a serious option for the major Hollywood films. No Time to Die is a movie made for the big screen, the only question is when it will be able to screen. As badly as viewers would like to see Daniel Craig's 007 swan song as soon as possible, most would be in agreement it's better to wait until things are safer. In this situation, health has to come first.
Source: MI6-HQ
