Earlier this week, rumours claims that No Time To Die was “increasingly likely” to head to streaming and skip cinemas entirely. Now it’s been reported that MGM offered the James Bond film for a one year license fee of $600 million to the likes of Netflix, Apple and Amazon. According to Variety, the studio has lost between $30-50 million due to the Daniel Craig movie’s four delays.
The outlet’s multiple insiders at rival studios and companies said MGM were therefore open to the possibility of Bond going to streaming on a deal of around that $600 million figure.
However, Deadline’s source reports that the streaming giants were not willing to put up more than $300 million.
While allegedly Bond producer Barbara Broccoli of EON productions “flatly nixed the deal” that MGM was exploring.
Despite conversations taking place in late September, MGM have said that No Time To Die is not for sale.
READ MORE: Next James Bond: Barbara Broccoli on ‘REIMAGINING’ after Daniel Craig
While MGM also affirmed that the new James Bond movie is still set for released in April 2021, “in order to preserve the theatrical experience for moviegoers”.
Nevertheless, Deadline pointed out: “It is also conceivable that if a vaccine doesn’t materialise by the middle of next year, that the wisdom of a big bucks streaming bow for Bond might look much better.”
Of course, the MGM talks with streaming services was just over the film’s North American rights.
Universal Pictures is the international distributor for No Time To Die, so presumably the studio would have to be persuaded to move to PVOD too.
While writing on his website, he claimed it is “increasingly likely” that No Time To Die will be on Netflix or Apple TV+ in the “very near future”.
He wrote: “In the last ten days or so, at least six people have reached out to talk to me about what they’re hearing, and it sounds like those two streamers are currently the most actively engaged in conversations with MGM and, I presume, EON and Universal to pick up No Time To Die.
“When Apple TV+ comes to the table with a $600 million check (one of the numbers I’ve heard is actually higher than that) for a one-year exclusive window on a film, that’s a number that you have to pay attention to, no matter what your history and no matter how much you cherish the theatrical experience.
“When your last film in the franchise made just over $800 million worldwide, and someone’s offering you almost that much for a single streaming window? That’s a conversation you have.”
Moving No Time To Die directly to streaming would no doubt be a disappointment for many Bond fans, especially as the new movie includes IMAX scenes that can only be fully appreciated in the cinema.
Nevertheless, the 007 movie has been delayed for so long now and it’s even possible that it could move yet again from April 2021 if the pandemic is still keeping cinemas closed or audiences at home by next Spring.
In the end, the studios behind Bond may just have to bite the bullet and send No Time To Die directly to streaming. Of course, they could put out a cinematic release at a later date for fans who feel they missed out on that unique experience.
No Time To Die is currently set for UK release in cinemas on April 2, 2021.
