Ana de Armas’ Bond Debut Delayed as “No Time to Die” Release Moved to November Due to Coronavirus

Ana de Armas’ big Bonddebut will have to wait…

With the coronavirus affecting the box office, MGMEon and Universal are postponing the next James Bondmovie, No Time to Die from its UK and international release date of April 2 and its U.S. Easter weekend global day-and-date of April 10.

Ana de Armas, No Time to Die

The 25th 007movie will now open on November 25, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.

“MGM, Universal and Bond producers, Michael G Wilsonand Barbara Broccoli, announced today that after careful consideration and thorough evaluation of the global theatrical marketplace, the release of No Time to Diewill be postponed until November 2020. The film will be released in the U.K. on November 12, 2020 with worldwide release dates to follow, including the U.S. launch on November 25, 2020,” said a statement given exclusively to Deadline by the three studios.

The decision to move the film to November is purely an economic decision, and not one based on growing fears over the coronavirus. 

Bond is a day-and-date worldwide release, and with the franchise back in the hands of MGM fully post Sony’s distribution of the last four Daniel Craigmovies, along with Universal, all parties involved need to have all foreign territories working at their maximum in order for the latest Bond to be a continued box office success. For a tentpole of this size and scope, that kind of decrease in business would have a significant and detrimental impact on the film’s ultimate global take.

All together, the last four Craig 007 movies – SpectreSkyfallQuantum of Solaceand Casino Royale— have grossed $3.2B in the overall near $7B franchise, with Skyfallbeing the highest grossing film of all-time in the 58-year-old series at a whopping $1.1B. Failing at the box office is not an option for Bond, and for the studios to stick to their original release plan would be a disservice to their partners in exhibition.

No Time to Die features Craig in his fifth and final outing as the fictional MI6 agent. It’s directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga from a screenplay by Neal PurvisRobert Wade, Fukunaga and Phoebe Waller-Bridge.

Léa SeydouxBen WhishawNaomie HarrisRory KinnearJeffrey WrightChristoph Waltz and Ralph Fiennes reprise their roles from previous films, with de Armas, who portrays Paloma, a CIA agent assisting Bond, joining the cast. Other new additions include Rami MalekLashana LynchDali BenssalahDavid Dencik and Billy Magnussen.

Brühl Becomes Producing Partner in Amusement Park Film

Daniel Brühl is ready to produce…

The 37-year-old half Spanish actor and Golden Globe nominee has become a partner at Amusement Park Film, a Berlin-based production company.

Daniel Brühl

Brühl, the star of Rush and Inglourious Basterds, will join Amusement Park’s Malte Grunert and Klaus Dohle to develop and produce film and television projects, with a focus on English-language productions.

Brühl, who appears in Marvel‘s upcoming Captain America: Civil War, first worked with Grunert on A Most Wanted Man, Anton Corbijn‘s adaptation of the John Le Carre novel of the same name, which Amusement Park co-produced.

“For a few years now I have had the wish to involve myself in the creative and commercial process of filmmaking beyond my usual role as an actor,” said Brühl, who began his work at a young age in a German soap opera called Forbidden Love. “It was always clear that I wanted to do this in a partnership with people that shared the same taste and values. Being based in Berlin but working mostly internationally it took a while, but I am convinced I have now found the perfect partnership, both structurally as well as creatively.”

Added Grunert: “I always knew Daniel as a great actor, but as we got to know each other following the filming of A Most Wanted Man, we felt we shared the same taste and passion for working with talented filmmakers, at home in Germany as well as internationally. I think our networks of partners complement each other very well, as do our past experiences and approaches to the industry.”

Brühl will be an equal partner in Amusement Park with Grunert and Dohle, with Grunert running the day-to-day business as managing director. Dohle, who also produces under his Erfttal banner, has been an active investor in the German film business for many years.

Founded by Grunert in 2009, Amusement Park has produced or co-produced 11 feature films to date, including A Most Wanted Man and David Mackenzie’s Perfect Sense. Titles in the pipeline include Remainder, Omer Fast‘s adaptation of the Tom McCarthy bestseller, which is in post; new projects by Mackenzie, Lone Scherfig (An Education) and a new project by Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, screenwriters on James Bond films Skyfall and the upcoming Spectre.

Grunert will attend the Toronto International Film Festival this week with Amusement Park’s Land of Mine, a Danish/German co-production set in the wake of World War II, which opens TIFF’s Platform section on Thursday, September 10.

Brühl will celebrate the world premiere of his latest film, Colonia, co-starring Emma Watson and directed by Florian Gallenberger, which bows in Toronto on September 13.