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The filmmaker told IndieWire he fears the pandemic will lead to a very different outcome for his entry into James Bond.
No great Hollywood movie has faced a more hectic release schedule than “No Time to Die”. The 25th entry in the James Bond franchise was originally slated for theatrical release in November 2019, but that date was pushed back to February 2020 and then April 2020 after original director Danny Boyle left the project.
By that time, filmmaker Cary Joji Fukunaga had finished production, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced the MGM distributor to postpone the release until November of last year. With the pandemic raging, the date moved to April 2021 and then to October 8. It finally opened internationally last week and – barring an unfathomable last-minute change – opens in North American theaters this week. Last month, a satirical headline in The Onion joked: “MGM pushes ‘No Time to Die’ to November 2019.”
The experience has left Fukunaga in the odd position of promoting a film he finished long ago. “Seems like the last three years have been a blur,” he said in a phone interview with IndieWire this week. “It was all of these things, one after the other.”
However, Fukunaga said he was relieved that MGM remained committed to releasing “No Time to Die” exclusively in theaters, rather than turning to a day-and-date release strategy like some studios have done. “You have companies like Warner Bros. that are releasing date and date for their films,” Fukunaga said. “I don’t think it’s the future, but I understand why the studios think this way. They care more about subscriptions than selling tickets.
Fukunaga said he was sometimes concerned that the studio would follow the same path, especially after news broke that MGM had been acquired by Amazon Studios for $ 8.45 billion. “I wasn’t part of the decision-making at all, but my part during Covid was concerned that this could be the end result if the studio just needed to cash in and cut their losses,” he said. “So I’m really grateful that I had the chance to wait until some people felt more secure to come back. “
“No time to die”
MGM
He credited producer Barbara Broccoli, whose family has retained the rights to the Bond franchise since its inception, with fighting for the theatrical life of the franchise and avoiding further development of intellectual property. He found it unlikely that she would allow that to change, even if Bond’s future lands with one of the biggest streaming entities in the business. “I don’t see Barbara allowing this to be an online release at the same time,” he said. “She still has control of this property. They were very good at not watering down the brand. They’ve been offered TV shows, spinoffs, LEGO movies, and they haven’t done any of that yet. They kept it very pure, with a traditional exit. I don’t see that changing anytime soon.
Again: “I will never say that something is impossible, because I would love to see a LEGO Bond movie,” Fukunaga said with a laugh. “But at the same time, I understand that their love of cinema and the protection of cinema are really important. The fact that people in the UK and other foreign territories are showing up for the film in a way we haven’t seen during the lockdown, during the re-emergence of the pre-Covid standard, is truly amazing to see. “
“No Time to Die” grossed over $ 119 million in its opening weekend at the UK box office, an initial sum greater than any Bond film in history. Fukunaga said he couldn’t imagine the film coming out any other way. “We shot this on IMAX to be on the big screen,” he said. “Obligations are made to be lived in cinemas. People should go there with their parents, their children, their friends. It must be an event. This has happened for generations. There is no streaming version of this film. “
Stay tuned for more on IndieWire’s interview with Fukunaga later this week.
MGM opens “No Time to Die” in theaters this Friday, October 8th.
As new films open in theaters during the COVID-19 pandemic, IndieWire will continue to review them whenever possible. We encourage readers to follow the safety precautions provided by CDC and health authorities. In addition, our coverage will offer alternative viewing options whenever they become available.
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