The much-delayed James Bond film No Time to Die is rumored to be skipping theaters in favor of debuting on a premium subscription service.
According to Binged, Apple TV+ and Netflix are the frontrunners in the bidding war for the streaming rights to No Time to Die. The site added that MGM Studios is "under tremendous pressure" to sell No Time to Die considering the forecast for domestic and international theaters to fully open up in the wake of coronavirus (COVID-19) are stretching into 2021.
A recent example of a high-profile film being sold to a streaming service is Coming 2 America, the sequel to 1988's Coming to America starring Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall. Amazon Studios acquired Coming 2 America for a reported $125 million, with the film making its streaming debut on Dec. 18.
Of course, other feature films have also been pulled from theatrical releases in favor of streaming services. Disney+ has streamed Onward and Artemis Fowl for its subscribers, and also made Mulan available under its Premium Access for an additional price. The next film to skip theaters for Disney+ is Pixar's Soul, which will premiere on Christmas day. Warner Bros.' Scoob! and Universal Pictures' Trolls World Tour are also other examples.
Speaking of Warner Bros., Christopher Nolan's Tenet was the first feature film to stick to a theatrical release, though it predictably had a lower-than-expected box office, according to AT&T CEOÂ John Stankey.
"This thing is just bigger than all of us, and we just want people to go and see this movie in the right way and safe way," Daniel Craig said while addressing No Time to Die's delay on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon. "Cinemas all around the world are closed at the moment and we want to release the movie at the same time all around the world and this isn't the right time."
In No Time To Die, Bond has left active service and is enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica. His peace is short-lived when his old friend Felix Leiter from the CIA turns up asking for help. The mission to rescue a kidnapped scientist turns out to be far more treacherous than expected, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology.
Directed and co-written by Cary Fukunaga, No Time to Die stars Daniel Craig, Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris, Rory Kinnear, Léa Seydoux, Ben Whishaw, Jeffrey Wright, Ana de Armas, Dali Benssalah, David Dencik, Lashana Lynch, Billy Magnussen and Rami Malek.
Source:Â Binged