third time's the charm?

James Bond movie No Time to Die delayed another 6 months

It seems early 2021 is still no time to release the new James Bond movie.

No Time to Die, the highly anticipated next film in the Bond franchise, has been delayed another six months and will now hit theaters on Oct. 8 instead of April 2.

Back in March 2020, No Time to Die became the first major movie to be delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, its release date pushed back seven months to November 2020 before theaters were forced to close their doors throughout the U.S. By the fall, the film was moved again to April 2021, and now, amid a bleak theatrical landscape as COVID-19 cases remain high, No Time to Die is facing its third delay due to the pandemic.

The previous postponement of No Time to Die early last year was followed by many more film delays, so experts are bracing for most if not all major movies scheduled for an exclusive theatrical release in the early part of 2021 to adjust those plans, either by moving to a later date or releasing it concurrently on a streaming service. Indeed, the No Time to Die delay on Thursday was quickly followed by Sony announcing that the next Ghostbusters film, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, has also been delayed from June to November.

All eyes now turn to how Disney will handle the Marvel blockbuster Black Widow, which as of now is set to hit theaters in May. It appears the only theatrical movies that are a sure bet to be released in the coming months are those also launching on streaming, as is the case with all of this year's offerings from Warner Bros. Godzilla vs. Kong, for example, will debut both on HBO Max and in those theaters that are able to be open on the same day in March.