'No Time to Die' release date moved up, could cost film box office record

James Bond fans got a piece of good news over the weekend as the studio announced the release of "No Time to Die" will arrive sooner than previously expected. 

The film will premiere in the United States on Nov. 20, 2020, five days earlier than its previously expected release of Nov. 25. While this is exciting news for those eagerly anticipating the release of Daniel Craig’s final outing as 007, it’s still a long time off from its first planned release date of April 10. 

"No Time to Die" was one of the first major blockbuster films to push back its release date due to theaters and entertainment industry productions shutting down in light of the coronavirus pandemic sweeping the world and changing the way almost everyone approaches the workplace and other large public gatherings. 

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The change still puts the latest Bond film on a November release schedule, which is on par with almost every other release in the franchise since "GoldenEye" in 1995, with the lone exception being "Tomorrow Never Dies," which came a little later in December of 1997.  While the five-day move might not sound significant, it positions "No Time To Die" a little less than a week before the Thanksgiving holiday rather than a day before. 

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'No Time to Die' moved its release date up after pushing it back due to the coronavirus. (EON Productions and Metro Goldwyn Mayer Studios film Credit: Nicola Dove © 2020 DANJAQ, LLC AND MGM. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED)

As Forbes notes, the change seems like a strategic way to come out before Warner Bros. "Godzilla Vs. Kong," which recently bumped its release date to Nov. 21, 2020. However, it notes that the change may have cost "No Time to Die" a chance at a coveted box office record. 

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The outlet notes that, had the film kept its original Thanksgiving opening date, it would have likely become the biggest live-action Thanksgiving holiday release ever. The film would only need to score $163 million in the domestic box office to topple last year’s winner, "Knives Out." That would put it on par with the domestic opening gross for past Bond films like "De Another Day," "Casino Royale" and "Quantum of Solace." Although, the numbers for those films aren’t adjusted for inflation.