Regal Cinemas | Photo by Jessica Fugett | The Wright State Guardian
Who knew that James Bond’s biggest threat was the coronavirus?
With the spread of coronavirus sweeping everything from the global streets of Earth to the content-hungry media circuits of CNN, Fox and others, it was only a matter of time before Hollywood producers took caution.
In their haste, anticipated films such as the live-action remake “Mulan,” “A Quiet Place Part II” and the 25th Bond film “No Time to Die” have delayed their initial releases.
With all of the panic that has been raised through the coronavirus, box-office numbers would have disappointed for sure. According to Rebecca Rubin at Variety, U.S. ticket sales are the lowest they’ve been since 2000.
Another film that delayed its initial release is “Fast and Furious 9,” a film that was an easy pick to win its opening weekend. The previous eight films and the “Hobbs and Shaw” spinoff have brought in over $5 billion worldwide for the franchise.
In the case of “No Time to Die,” the decision to delay its release was surely a costly one given how close we are to April 10 (its initial release). The promo tour for the film was also expected to begin next month as well, so I can understand why the film would be delayed.
On the bright side, we live in a world that has streaming. In response to the various cancellations and delays, Disney+ has decided to make “Frozen 2” available for streaming. If you’re thinking “didn’t that just come out in theaters,” then you’re spot on. This move by Disney makes them look great from a public relations perspective while also bolstering their own brand.
In the aims of profit, it’s almost a show to see what people (companies in this case) do. This decision by Disney to release one of their most well-known films early could sway other media companies to do the same. And while this would be profitable for Netflix or Hulu or Amazon Prime, it would be detrimental to the theater-going experience going forward.
Then again, it feels like we’ve been heading to this point for a little while now. Long story short, is going to the theater a thing of the past?
Coronavirus (COVID-19) is a respiratory illness spread between people in close contact with each other or through respiratory droplets from coughing or sneezing. To protect yourself and those around you, cover coughs and sneezes and avoid contact with the eyes, nose and mouth. Symptoms include fever, cough and shortness of breath, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC.)
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