Bond film 'No Time to Die' delayed again because of virus

James Bond fans will be waiting even longer to see the upcoming movie No Time to Die.

The movie, which was slated to open April 2, will now hit theaters October 8, according to Variety.

It had originally been due to hit screens in April 2020.

Its new debut date is Oct 8, according to an announcement on the James Bond website and Twitter feed. Since the movie carries a massive price tag around Dollars 200 million, it relies on substantial global ticket sales to turn a profit.

Making such a sum is very unlikely without American movie theaters operating at a higher volume than they are now, as many theaters remain closed with others have limited capacities. But MGM announced on Thursday that it would push the action film to October 8.

The latest scheduling shift for "No Time to Die" may inspire rival studios to delay any movies still set for the first few months of the year.

It had been set to be released in April this year following multiple pandemic-enforced delays. It said "Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway" was moving from April to June, "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" was delayed from June to November and "Cinderella", starring singer Camila Cabello, will now arrive in July rather than February. "It's also been commonly speculated that Universal's 'Fast & Furious" sequel 'F9" won't keep its May 28 release date.

Given that the Bond franchise is already a tent-pole for MGM that could fetch in the upward nine-figures in a thriving theater business, the studio needed this film to succeed financially, but the pandemic was standing in its way. Newcomers to the franchise will include Academy Award-winner Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody), Golden Globe-nominee Ana de Armas (Knives Out), Billy Magnussen (Game Night), Lashana Lynch (Captain Marvel), Dali Benssalah (Flash) and David Dencik (Quicksand).