When it was announced that “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” is moving from its September release to October 15, many (including this writer) assumed it was the first domino to topple that could lead to a chain reaction where other studios delay blockbusters for fear of COVID theater shutdowns and hindered box office returns. Well, we haven’t seen that…yet. And in the case of one blockbuster—MGM’s “No Time to Die”—the option of delaying again might not be on the table.
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According to THR, in a long piece about possible delays, the outlet says that sources are pointing out that MGM might not be in a position to delay “No Time to Die” because of the marketing costs that come along with each and every date change. Keep in mind, “No Time to Die” was expected to arrive in theaters back in April 2020 but has been the subject of multiple release date changes due to COVID shutdowns and an uncertain box office. And with rising COVID cases making delays seem more plausible, MGM apparently doesn’t have the budget to keep delaying the film, considering the studio has already had multiple marketing campaigns for previous release dates.
Adding to the somewhat unenviable position of MGM is the fact that the studio doesn’t have a streaming platform of its own right now, as an alternative. Sure, Amazon has announced a deal to purchase the studio, but that is far from done and wouldn’t be ready in time for “No Time to Die.” Plus, there’s the position of Barbara Broccoli and the rest of the co-owners of the James Bond rights, who have publicly said that a streaming release is not going to happen.
All that to say, MGM is reportedly stuck with its October 8 release date for the final 007 film with Daniel Craig in the lead, whether it likes it or not. This could prove disastrous if the COVID situation around the world doesn’t figure itself out over the next month or so. But again, like everything with COVID’s effect on film releases, we should just keep an eye out for more activity and see what happens.
