No Time to Die advanced ticket sales in the U.K. are the biggest in the country since Avengers: Endgame. The upcoming James Bond film was the first major studio blockbuster to be delayed at the outset of the coronavirus pandemic, and its release date was pushed back several times over the past year. Now, No Time to Die is finally set for its premiere. It opens in U.K. theaters on September 30, followed by its U.S. debut on October 8.
While there's still a long way to go before the box office reaches 2019 levels, this year has seen multiple encouraging signs theaters are on the road to recovery. Most recently, Marvel's Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings broke Labor Day records, influencing Sony to move Venom: Let There Be Carnage up a week and other studios to stay put. Even though Top Gun: Maverick moved to 2022, No Time to Die is one of the many fall/winter titles remaining on the schedule. And it looks like it will be a big boost for theaters.
According to THR, advanced ticket sales for No Time to Die are at a "nearly unprecedented level of demand." The Bond movie has surpassed Christopher Nolan's Tenet from last year, and its performance so far is actually similar to Avengers: Endgame. An anonymous theater chain executive in the U.K. explained to THR:
“Endgame was the last one that probably had the same palpable sense of ‘this absolutely cannot be missed’ and there was a sense of urgency about seeing it as soon as possible.”
No Time to Die is star Daniel Craig's final outing as 007, and the film is billed as a culmination of his entire tenure. As opposed to past Bonds, where each installment operated as a standalone adventure, No Time to Die is a definitive ending to Craig's more serialized storytelling. That adds a layer to its event movie feel, and especially in the U.K., interest is going to be very high. It's pleasantly surprising to see the advanced ticket sales doing so well, and that's promising for No Time to Die's box office prospects. It will be interesting to see how high the actual numbers are (not everyone feels safe going to the movie theater right now), but No Time to Die is poised to have a strong start.
James Bond should be a draw around the world as well. Early No Time to Die domestic box office projections have it matching the likes of F9 and Shang-Chi, two of 2021's biggest films. No Time to Die's theatrical exclusivity could help it post major numbers commercially, as was seen with Free Guy and the aforementioned Shang-Chi. Audiences can only see it on the big screen, which will increase demand for tickets. It goes without saying No Time To Die's grosses won't be the same as they would have been if the movie came out pre-pandemic, but MGM seems like they'll make the best of the situation.
Source: THR
