New 007 Release Delayed For 3rd Time As Pandemic Continues To Batter Film Industry

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The cast of No Time to Die — Léa Seydoux (from left), Ana de Armas, Daniel Craig, Naomie Harris and Lashana Lynch — on location in Oracabessa, Jamaica, in 2019. The film’s theatrical release is now set for Oct. 8.

Leo Hudson/AP

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Leo Hudson/AP

Audience members in their cars drive past still photos from the Netflix film The Trial of the Chicago 7 at its drive-in premiere in Pasadena, Calif., in October. Studios have withheld some films from indoor theatrical release as a result of the pandemic.

Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP

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Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP

Pixar’s Soul skipped theaters entirely and debuted Christmas Day on the Disney Plus subscription streaming service. The industry newspaper Variety reported that Soul was the top-rated streamed show Christmas week.

Warner Bros. chose to release Wonder Woman 1984 on Christmas Day, both in theaters and streaming on HBO Max.

But the 25th installment of the James Bond saga is being held for a happier time. So, too, is Dune from Warner Bros., now scheduled for release Oct. 1, a week before No Time to Die.

While some theaters have stayed open, hundreds have closed, notably more than 500 U.S. theaters of Regal Cinemas, which shut down temporarily starting Oct. 9. In addition to awaiting a relaxation of local regulations intended to mitigate the spread of the pandemic, Regal said reopening will depend on when «studios are able to bring their pipeline of major releases back to the big screen.