MGM has insisted the new James Bond film will not be sold to Netflix or Apple TV amid reports that it has been holding talks with the two streaming giants.
No Time to Die, the latest instalment of the James Bond franchise, was slated for release in cinemas next month.
But the launch of what promised to be the year’s biggest blockbuster has been postponed until next April due to the pandemic.
Go slow: Daniel Craig in a clip from the latest James Bond movie No Time to Die
The film (featuring Daniel Craig and Ana de Armas) had initially been due to be shown in cinemas in April, but was pushed back as lockdown forced cinemas to close down.
Selling No Time To Die to one of the streaming giants could raise hundreds of millions of dollars for the Hollywood studio – but would mark another devastating blow for cinemas, which are already battling for survival.
Postponed: Ana de Armas also stars
MGM refused to comment on any talks that are said to have taken place with Netflix or Apple TV. But it stressed that the James Bond movie is ‘not for sale’.
Film fans have been slow to return to cinemas after lockdown was lifted and they were allowed to reopen. Cinemas had been pinning their hopes on No Time To Die.
After its latest delay, Cineworld announced that it would have to temporarily shut down all its cinemas in the UK and the US, putting 5,500 jobs at risk.
The huge buying power of the streaming giants has made it tempting for film studios and producers to bypass cinemas.
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