No Time to Die "not for sale" says MGM amid James Bond streaming rumours
The film has been hit by delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic but will still have a theatrical release, says studio.
The upcoming James Bond film No Time to Die will not be released on a streaming platform, despite reports that the movie's studio was involved in discussions with Apple TV+ and Netflix, MGM says.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. says it is committed to giving the film a cinematic release and that it "is not for sale", declining to comment on any such talks, according to Bloomberg.
"The film's release has been postponed until April 2021 in order to preserve the theatrical experience for moviegoers," an MGM representative told the publication.
Sources involved in rumoured talks between the studio and the streamers reportedly said it could have acquired hundreds of millions of dollars in a potential streaming sale.
Netflix and Apple declined to comment. RadioTimes.com has reached out to representatives for No Time To Die for comment.
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James Bond has been hit with numerous delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 25th Bond film was originally scheduled to premiere in April 2020, but the studio postponed the release until November. It was subsequently moved to April 2021.
A tweet from the official James Bond account read: "We understand the delay will be disappointing to our fans but we now look forward to sharing NO TIME TO DIE next year."
The movie is currently scheduled for an April 2021 release, but there's now no telling when the film will finally reach cinemas, with director No Time To Die director Cary Joji Fukunaga not ruling out another delay.
Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, he suggested No Time To Die "will come out when it’s right and it will perform in the context of this new world, in which no-one really can define what success or failure means".
As well as starring Daniel Craig in his final outing as Bond, Ralph Fiennes (M), Lea Seydoux (Madeleine Swann), Naomie Harris (Moneypenny), Ben Whishaw (Q), Rory Kinnear (Bill Tanner) and Jeffrey Wright (Felix Leiter) will all be reprising their roles for the new film.
Phoebe Waller Bridge was drafted in by Craig to spruce up the script, with the Fleabag creator telling The Hollywood Reporter: "There’s something about James Bond that always intrigued me in a similar way that [Killing Eve's] Villanelle did. They live a fantasy! But it’s a life none of us would ever want, if we’re honest. We don’t want to go put a bullet in someone’s head to sleep with people and have martinis. It’s a kind of fantasy nightmare."
No Time To Die will be released in the UK next year. If you’re looking for something else to watch, check out our TV Guide.
