(Adds comment from UK Cinema Association)
LOS ANGELES, Jan 21 (Reuters) - The global release of the
James Bond movie "No Time to Die" was postponed to October from
April, its producers said, another setback for movie theaters
trying to rebuild a business crushed by the coronavirus
pandemic.
The movie's new debut date is Oct. 8, according to an
announcement on the James Bond website and Twitter feed.
"No Time to Die", from MGM and Comcast Corp's
Universal Pictures, had originally been set to hit the big
screen in April 2020 before moving to November 2020 and then
April 2021.
The film, which cost an estimated $200 million to produce,
marks actor Daniel Craig's last outing as agent 007.
Cinema owners were hoping "No Time to Die" would kick off a
rebound in moviegoing. The pandemic devastated the film business
in 2020, and ticket sales in the United States and Canada sunk
80%. That hurt independent theaters and big chains including AMC
Entertainment, Cineworld Plc and Cinemark Holdings Inc
.
With the virus still rampant in many areas, including in the
key Los Angeles market, Hollywood studios appear reluctant to
send their biggest films to theaters.
Many cinemas are closed, and ones that are open enforce
strict attendance limits to allow for social distancing.
The UK Cinema Association said the decision to delay the
film's release was "clearly disappointing ... (but) at the same
time not surprising".
"Clearly - like the producers of the film - the UK’s cinema
operators look forward when the time is right to ensuring that
as many people as possible are able to enjoy this and other
major titles on the big screen, their natural environment," it
said, calling for government support for the sector.
The Bond franchise is one of the movie world's most
lucrative, with 2015's "Spectre" raking in $880 million at the
box office worldwide, while "Skyfall" in 2012 grossed more than
$1 billion globally.
The next closely watched movie is "Black Widow" from Walt
Disney Co's Marvel Studios, currently scheduled to debut
in theaters on May 7.
(Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Additional reporting by
Marie-Louise Gumuchian in London; Editing by Richard Pullin and
Alison Williams)
