RE: Hollywood calls on Congress for urgent cinema support3 Oct 2020 00:57
New James Bond movie delayed, crushing hopes for 2020 cinema rebound
(Recasts with dismal year for Hollywood, adds analyst comment,
details on 2020 movie season, move of 'Fast & Furious' sequel)
By Lisa Richwine
LOS ANGELES, Oct 2 (Reuters) - 23:12 GMT
Even 007 can't save a dismal year for Hollywood.
The new James Bond movie, "No Time To Die," on Friday became
the latest blockbuster to be pushed into next year as the movie
industry struggles to get back to business amid the coronavirus
pandemic.
Bond's exit leaves "Wonder Woman 1984," currently set to
debut in December on Christmas Day, as one of the few big movies
still on the 2020 slate. Other big-budget flicks, including
Marvel's "Black Widow" and a "Top Gun" sequel, also have been
delayed until next year. [nL2N2GK1JM]
"No Time to Die," from MGM and Comcast Corp's
Universal Pictures, originally was set to hit the big screen in
April 2020 before being delayed until November. The new date is
April 2, 2021. A "Fast & Furious" sequel scheduled for that date
was moved to May 28.
The movie studios and producers Michael G. Wilson and
Barbara Broccoli said the Bond film was delayed "in order to be
seen by a worldwide theatrical audience."
"We understand the delay will be disappointing to our fans
but we now look forward to sharing 'No Time To Die' next year,"
they said on the official James Bond Twitter account.
The decision follows disappointing efforts to get Americans
back into multiplexes after the pandemic shuttered cinemas
worldwide in March. While AMC Entertainment , Cineworld
Plc and others have reopened many locations, crowds
have been thin, and theaters in the major markets of New York
and Los Angeles remain shut.
"Studios are having to continually confront the hard facts
of a very challenging marketplace," said Comscore senior media
analyst Paul Dergarabedian.
But he added that the Bond delay showed that producers
believe theaters were the "preferred destination" for the film.
Some movies have skipped theaters and headed straight to
streaming services.
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.
"No Time to Die," which cost an estimated $200 million to
produce, marks actor Daniel Craig's last outing as agent 007.
(Reporting by Lisa Richwine;
Additional reporting by Jill Serjeant;
Editing by Rosalba O'Brien and Matthew Lewis)