No Time To Die could reportedly be released nearly a month early due to coronavirus fears.
The upcoming James Bond film is currently scheduled to hit UK cinemas on April 2 and US theaters on April 10, but producers are said to have discussed plans about bringing the movie forward due to their ‘concerns’ over the virus.
Earlier in the week, die-hard 007 fans begged MGM and Universal to delay the release of the sequel in an open letter after an Asian promotional tour for the 25th installment was cancelled.
Up in the air: No Time To Die could reportedly be released nearly a month early due to coronavirus fears (Daniel Craig as Bond in the film)
A source claimed: ‘There have been formal discussions about bringing it forward, and it’s been suggested that it could even be brought forward to next week rather than waiting until April to see how things pan out with the spread of the virus.’
‘Everyone in production is really concerned about the impact of the virus. The more it spreads, the more people will be inclined to self-isolate which will really damage the film’s box office takings.’
Another insider told The Sun: A lot of the crew just want the film to come out now. To say it’s been a labour of love is an understatement.’
MailOnline contacted representatives for Daniel Craig, Universal and EON for further comment.
Thrown into chaos: Producers are said to have discussed plans about bringing the movie forward due to their ‘concerns’ over the virus (Léa Seydoux as Dr. Madeleine Swann)
Strict schedule: Leading actor Daniel attended the MoMA’s Film Series, In Character: Daniel Craig, at New York’s Museum of Modern Art on Tuesday (pictured with chief curator Raj Roy)
Busy bee: The screen star, 51, proved there’s no rest for the wicked as he continued to promote the film despite the outbreak
Fans of James Bond have asked the studios to postpone the release, with MI6-HQ posting an open letter in which it said it was time for MGM and Universal ‘to put public health above marketing release schedules and the cost of canceling publicity events’.
The situation in China has already prompted the studios to move the release of the film in Hong Kong to April 30 and to cancel the film’s publicity tours in China, South Korea and Japan.
However, the world premiere for No Time To Die is still scheduled to take place in London at the Royal Albert Hall on March 31.
Eager: Die-hard 007 fans have begged MGM and Universal to delay the release of the sequel in an open letter after an Asian promotional tour for the 25th installment was cancelled
The situation in the Far East has prompted estimates that box office takings could be hit by up to tens of millions of pounds globally. It comes after China was the highest grossing foreign country for the previous Bond film, Spectre.
The fan website is suggesting the release be pushed back to the summer amid fears that the spread of coronavirus might lead to the closure of cinemas or keep people from wanting to go to see the film at movie theatres.
‘With a month to go before ‘No Time To Die’ opens worldwide, community spread of the virus is likely to be peaking in the United States,’ the open letter said.
Crisis: The situation in China has already prompted the studios to push back release of the film in Hong Kong to April 30 and to cancel publicity tours in China, South Korea and Japan. (Pictured, a woman wearing a mask walks past a No Time To Die poster in Bangkok last week)
‘There is a significant chance that cinemas will be closed, or their attendance severely reduced, by early April. Even if there are no legal restrictions on cinemas being open, to quote M in Skyfall, ‘how safe do you feel?”
The world premiere screening is set for the English capital which has a capacity of more than 5,000, the limit affected countries are now banning for public gatherings.
‘Just one person, who may not even show symptoms, could infect the rest of the audience. This is not the type of publicity anyone wants,’ the MI6-HQ letter stated.
‘The UK and US outbreaks are in their early stages, but if they follow the predictable pattern of other developed countries, the situation by late March and early April will not be conducive to the box-office.’
Outbreak: COVID-19, the disease caused by coronavirus, has now spread to every continent except Antarctica
The letter concluded: ‘It’s just a movie. The health and well-being of fans around the world, and their families, is more important.’
‘We have all waited over 4 years for this film. Another few months will not damage the quality of the film and only help the box-office for Daniel Craig’s final hurrah.’
As of Monday, there have been more than 89,000 cases of the COVUD-19 virus globally, the majority in China, according to Reuters.
Outside China, it has spread to 66 countries, with more than 8,800 cases and 130 deaths. Globally, it has killed more than 3,000 people.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists more than 90 cases across the United States, a large bulk of them patients who were repatriated from the Diamond Princess cruise liner that had been quarantined in Japan.
Want release pushed to summer: The letter concluded: ‘It’s just a movie. The health and well-being of fans around the world, and their families, is more important’