James Bond movie No Time to Die becomes the latest blockbuster to abandon 2020

Yet another major blockbuster movie has abandoned 2020.

No Time to Die, the upcoming James Bond movie that had previously been one of the last major films still scheduled to come to theaters in 2020, has been delayed to April 2021 from Nov. 20. A statement said this was in order to ensure the film would "be seen by a worldwide theatrical audience."

While there was initially hope in Hollywood that the Christopher Nolan film Tenet would signal a return to moviegoing amid the coronavirus pandemic, its box office performance in the United States has been disappointing, and numerous major films have been postponed as a result. Disney recently pushed the upcoming Marvel blockbuster Black Widow, which was expected to be one of the biggest movies of 2020, to May 2021.

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In early March, No Time to Die became the first major movie to delay its release due to the pandemic, moving from April to November before movie theaters were forced to close their doors.

Struggling movie theaters are now in the difficult position of having reopened expecting a regular schedule of films to show after Tenet, only for the most-anticipated remaining movies of the year to abandon their previously-set dates. Among the films still set for theatrical release in 2020 include the next Pixar film Soul, which is scheduled to open on Nov. 20, and Dune, set for Dec. 18. But as films continue to be delayed, it's appearing increasingly unlikely any major releases will hit theaters before 2021.