Producers postpone release of 007 film No Time to Die

No Time to Die, the latest James Bond film and one of the major tentpole releases of the global movie box office, is postponing its debut until November. It's the latest reaction from the entertainment world to the coronavirus outbreak.

Together with 007 producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, studios MGM and Universal announced Wednesday that the next Bond instalment will not open next month as scheduled"after careful consideration and thorough evaluation of the global theatrical marketplace."

Instead, the film will be released Nov. 12 in the U.K. and Nov. 25 in North America, with other worldwide release dates to follow.

In recent weeks, producers hadcancelled the film's planned Beijing premiere and promotional tour. This week, MI6-HQ the largest James Bond fan blog posted an open letter urging the producers and studios to delay No Time to Die's releaseand "put public health above marketing release schedules."

In all, more than 94,000 people have contracted the virus worldwide, with more than 3,200 deaths. The global spread of COVID-19 has forced the closure of cinemas in major Asian and European movie markets such as China, South Korea, and Italy.

Anticipation has been high for No Time to Die, said to be Daniel Craig's last turn as the British super spy and the first of the storied film franchise to be directed by an American, Cary Joji Fukunaga. This year's history-making Grammy winner Billie Eilish was enlisted for the movie's theme song.

New cast members Rami Malek, Lashana Lynch andBilly Magnussen are slated to join Craig in No Time to Die,alongsidereturning performers La Seydoux, Jeffrey Wright, Ben Whishaw, Naomie Harris and Ralph Fiennes.