The upcoming James Bond film No Time to Die is releasing one week early in the U.K. The 25th movie in the Bond series and Daniel Craig's fifth and final run as 007, No Time to Die, has been one of the most highly anticipated movies of the year. The film has faced multiple release date delays, most recently being pushed from April 2021 to October 8, likely after MGM realized the prolonged impact the coronavirus would continue to have on theaters.
It's been six years since the last Bond film, and fans are eager to see a new installment in the series. Craig first appeared as Bond in 2006's Casino Royale, followed by 2008's Quantum of Solace, 2012's Skyfall and 2015's Spectre. No Time to Die will see the return of some familiar faces from Craig's previous films, including Ralph Fiennes' M, Naomie Harris' Eve Moneypenny and Jeffrey Wright's CIA agent Felix Leiter. The movie will also introduce new characters played by Rami Malek as villain Safin, Lashana Lynch as new M16 agent Nomi and Craig's Knives Out co-star Ana de Armas as Paloma. Directed by Cary Fukunaga, the film will see Craig's final turn as the iconic spy, making the movie all the more anticipated. Now it seems that U.K. fans are getting access to the film a little earlier.
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In a tweet, TomLinay reported that No Time to Die will release one week early in the U.K. Initially scheduled for release on October 8 like in the U.S., the upcoming spy flick will hit U.K. cinemas on September 30.
At one point, streaming platforms were reportedly bidding to purchase the film to send it straight to streaming, MGM ultimately chose to stick with a theatrical release. The movie could benefit more from staying in theaters, despite its numerous delays. One analyst told the Metro UK that No Time to Die's frequent delays could help its box office performance by building up moviegoers' anticipation, eager to return to cinemas to see it once theaters reopen.
James Bond movies usually release in the U.K. ahead of the U.S., so it's not surprising that No Time to Die is following the same pattern, even during an unpredictable time. Though the films usually see an October/November release date, the U.K.'s new release date could be a great time slot. While there's no promises that all theaters will be business as usual by the fall, hopefully audiences will finally get to see Craig's last run as 007.
Source: Tom Linay/Twitter