Bond 25 - "No Time to Die" (2021) (1 Viewer)

[Wiseguy]

It's really an unimportant thing to debate about but just to throw my .02¢ in...

Assuming you meant to write "two cents," that's either 2¢ or $.02. What you wrote is 2/100 of one cent.

 

[SamT]

Film critic and screenwriter Drew McWeeny has postulated on Twitter that Apple is seeking to acquire the rights to upcoming James Bond film "No Time to Die" for its video streaming service, Apple TV+.

McWeeny, who has clear industry connections, suggested that ‌Apple TV‌+ and Netflix are the frontrunners to possibly stream the new film, speculating that the bids involved are for significant amounts of money.

 

[SamT]

I mean who we are kidding. Do they think that this covid situation will resolve anytime soon? For how long they are going to keep under locks a big movie?

 

[Josh Steinberg]

These services are going to need premium content as production is either stopped or slowed down and with the delays associated with doing post production remotely. Films that are already complete, like this one, fit that bill.

All of this stuff has a shelf life. I don’t think it’s viable to hold every big film for one, two, three or more years and have all new productions bottlenecked behind it. And of all the premium services, Apple has deep pockets and less stuff on hand.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Think this is a great idea for Apple (or Netflix) to obtain the new James Bond movie.

It has the potential of making far more money in licensing rights than it would in theaters that will be mostly empty due to a pandemic that I agree with Sam is not going to be over anytime soon.

 

[Thomas T]

The thing about Netflix that I hate is that with the few exceptions like Roma, Marriage Story and The Irishman they refuse to release their titles on physical media. The only reason those three titles went to Criterion is that their directors had enough clout to insist. I'm sure the Bond producers will have a similar clause (I hope). Personally I can't fathom seeing a James Bond film for the first time on a TV monitor (no matter how big your screen and sound system are). I've seen every Bond film in a theater first.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

I can't see the powers-that-be preventing a disc release of the new James Bond film.

While I understand that watching it on the home screen diminishes the theatrical experience, I think it has come to the point where there's really no choice but to throw it to streaming. I don't see theaters opening to capacity in the next 8 months if at all in 2021. Not at this current rate of COVID spread.

 

[Worth]

...Personally I can't fathom seeing a James Bond film for the first time on a TV monitor (no matter how big your screen and sound system are). I've seen every Bond film in a theater first.

I've seen every one in the theatre on opening day or opening weekend since the age of 8, in 1977.

 

[Luxatetfer]

I don't care who is it too as long as the production will be good.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

I've seen every one in the theatre on opening day or opening weekend since the age of 8, in 1977.

I can’t boast something that impressive but I’ve seen all of the films opening weekend since 1995. All of the Craigs opening nights or midnight sneaks, but I think some of the Brosnans I didn’t get to until the Saturday or Sunday of their opening weekend.

 

[Tommy R]

My first theatrical Bond experience was The World Is Not Enough on it’s opening day back in 1999. I was 13 and it was a day off of school. A friend and I took the transit bus to the cinema and saw the earliest showtime. I had seen my first Bond film ever only a year before when GoldenEye had it’s “Network Television Premier” (back when that sort of thing was hype-worthy). I had only seen a few other Bond films before TWINE hit screens, but I was super stoked none the less, and seeing the gun barrel on the big screen was amazing, and I loved the whole experience. I’ve seen every Bond film on it’s opening day and a couple of them at the midnight showing.

Despite the fact that I love seeing every new Bond film on the big screen and am very disappointed by what has been happening to cinemas because of the pandemic, I’m equally disappointed in what the wait has become for Bond 25. The April 2020 date was already the second longest wait between Bond films ever, and pushing it to 2021 will get it that much closer to matching the six-year wait between Dalton and Brosnan. I for one am ready for watching it on streaming.

Even if a vaccine comes out and it works and they deem things “safe”, the public consciousness of the masses may very well not flock to theaters anymore, and movies, even trusted blockbusters, may very well not take in the numbers of the pre-Covid days anytime soon. Even through 2021.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

At this point I’m just ready to see the movie. Even before the pandemic it had been delayed a bunch.

It sucks that the filmmakers intended this to play in IMAX and even shot parts of it on IMAX film, and now it’s either not going to get seen that way or be subject to more delays. There’s really no part of this that doesn’t suck in some way for everyone who worked on the film and for everyone that looked forward to seeing it in a theater like normal.

But on the flip side of that, getting to watch a brand new Bond movie at home during this extended period of disappointments would be a nice silver lining. I’m in favor of anything that either provides escapism from the day to day of this year, or provides a sense of normalcy however brief. A brand new Bond film would tick both of those boxes for me.

 

[Jeffrey D]

The thing about Netflix that I hate is that with the few exceptions like Roma, Marriage Story and The Irishman they refuse to release their titles on physical media. The only reason those three titles went to Criterion is that their directors had enough clout to insist. I'm sure the Bond producers will have a similar clause (I hope). Personally I can't fathom seeing a James Bond film for the first time on a TV monitor (no matter how big your screen and sound system are). I've seen every Bond film in a theater first.

Off topic, but I really hope Fincher’s new film gets released to video.

 

[Tommy R]

But on the flip side of that, getting to watch a brand new Bond movie at home during this extended period of disappointments would be a nice silver lining. I’m in favor of anything that either provides escapism from the day to day of this year, or provides a sense of normalcy however brief. A brand new Bond film would tick both of those boxes for me.

This! And the fact that home video technology has gotten so amazing it’s not such a downgrade anymore compared to cinema screens.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

This! And the fact that home video technology has gotten so amazing it’s not such a downgrade anymore compared to cinema screens.

And hey, if they want to put it on a streaming platform sooner and then throw it into theaters when all of this is over, I’d go out and see it again.

I was late to the party on the trailer and I just saw it recently and call me crazy but doesn’t Rami Malek’s costuming remind you of Dr. No? After the recent Craig films having poster art that invoked the Moore era, it was fun to see a costume design that would have been at home during Connery’s time.

 

[Osato]

Hmm

Bidding War

Will MGM accept a cash offer for the North American rights to No Time To Die?

www.mi6-hq.com

 

[Jake Lipson]

Variety and Deadline have stories on the negotiations. MGM is of course denying it.

James Bond Film ‘No Time to Die’ Explored $600 Million Sale to Streaming Services

Apple and Netflix were interested in buying "No Time to Die" from MGM, which insists the James Bond sequel is not for sale.

variety.com

Don’t Hold Your Breath Waiting To See 007 Film ‘No Time To Die’ On Streamer As Cursory Talks Died Quickly

Don't Hold Your Breath Waiting To See 007 Film No Time To Die On Streamer As Talks Died Quickly

deadline.com

We'll see what happens if they can't open in April.

I can't see the powers-that-be preventing a disc release of the new James Bond film.

I'm sure MGM could sell the streaming rights and include a clause in there that allows for a disc to be released after a certain window. When Paramount unloaded The Cloverfield Paradox to Netflix, they retained rights to release it on disc and issued one a year later. So Netflix paid for a one-year exclusive window, after which Paramount was able to sell it on disc. I think something similar would happen for Bond. Given the size of the deal being reported, it is clear that the buyer would want and deserve a reasonably lengthy window of exclusivity. But I don't think it would last forever.

I don't see theaters opening to capacity in the next 8 months if at all in 2021. Not at this current rate of COVID spread.

Here, the capacity limits aren't even the problem. Although I'm not comfortable returning right now, I occasionally check my local theater's website to see how many tickets they are selling. The most I've ever seen sold are 4 or 5 per screening, and often not even that. 5 people in a room that will normally sit a couple hundred is well below capacity, so they aren't having to turn people away. This means that people are choosing not to come into the theater for the duration of the pandemic.

I do not think theatrical exhibition will be able to rebound in a significant way until there is a vaccine that has been widely distributed, which even once one is found will take a while.

I don't think we will hear anything about a sale of Bond until MGM and Universal realize that an April release would not be any more effective than the November one they were most recently planning before this. It will remain on the April calendar until they have to pull it again. At that point, they might be more willing to entertain a streaming sale.

Or don't sell it at all and just release it PVOD on transactional streaming like iTunes and Vudu. I know I would pay for it digitally there. I bet a lot of people would.

I would really love for things to go back to normal soon and have Bond stay viable as a theatrical release. I think Craig's last outing in this role deserves to be a huge theatrical event and I wish it could be. But that's not the world we are living in right now. So the question is how long the studio is willing to sit on it before they finally decide they'd rather put it out and make something instead of holding it for the future and making nothing now.

Disney has gotten to that point a couple times recently, first with Mulan and then with Soul. I would have loved to see Soul in theaters. I'm bummed that circumstances will not allow me to do that. But I'm also glad that on Christmas, it's just going to be there. I don't have to worry about it coming out in theaters and missing it. I'm just going to wake up and it's going to be there for me to watch on Disney+. It's not how I wanted to experience the film for the first time. But getting the film beats not getting the film, because I don't know when it will be safe to return to theaters.

I do think Bond would have a very similar impact if it moved to streaming at this point.

 

[Tommy R]

Or don't sell it at all and just release it PVOD on transactional streaming like iTunes and Vudu. I know I would pay for it digitally there. I bet a lot of people would.

I always assumed this is what would be done. I have paid my monthly Netflix subscription for years already, so if it ends up on there, I wouldn’t be paying extra money to see it. If it’s on Vudu, I’d have to pay, which is what I did for Bill and Ted 3. Would be funny if in a roundabout way (since I have no intention of ending my Netflix subscription anytime soon regardless of Bond) that I had to pay for Bill and Ted but essentially GIVEN a free viewing of Bond.

 

[Jake Lipson]

Would be funny if in a roundabout way (since I have no intention of ending my Netflix subscription anytime soon regardless of Bond) that I had to pay for Bill and Ted but essentially GIVEN a free viewing of Bond.

I get what you're saying. But the value to Netflix would be in using Bond to lure new subscribers. A big get like that would almost certainly generate a lot of new or returning lapsed subscriptions to whichever service got it of people signing up just to watch that.

They also have to keep any subscribers who might be considering cancellation a reason not to do that. If they give it to you without a surcharge, they don't care as long as it keeps you subscribed.

 

[Nelson Au]

These past several posts had me wondering how Mulan is doing for Disney after going straight to streaming. I’m sure the studio and actors would have looked forward to seeing it screened theatrically. What I’m curious though is how the sales of Disney subscriptions has translated to box office equivalent numbers. The metric of that is something new I’m sure. So new Hollywood math will be needed to calculate the success. Ha, ha! Seriously, I’m sure Disney was hoping for blockbuster numbers.

I do not have a Disney subscription. I’m really interested in seeing Milan too. So I’m hoping many of their new properties comes out in blu ray and 4K blu ray. So as for Bond, I’m sure MGM and the cast would have similarly loved a theatrical release. I’m betting it will not happen. So sometime soon, it’s got to be streamed. And I hope it goes to Apple+. I see Milan is on Apple’s service too. I’d like to have a disc though.

As for theatrical screenings, I can go back to the Moore era of Bond films. At this point though, I’m not caring as much to see it theatrically. It’s not the same of course.

I’m sure Disney and MGM wants to maximize income from streaming so maybe physical media of these films will take a while before they are released if ever.