By Lindsey Bahr, Film Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) --The release of the James Bond film "No Time To Die" has been pushed back several months because of global concerns about coronavirus.
MGM, Universal and producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli announced on Twitter Wednesday that the film would be pushed back from its April release to November 2020.
The announcement cited consideration of the global theatrical marketplace in the decision to delay the release of the film. "No Time To Die" will now hit theaters in the U.K. on Nov. 12 and worldwide on Nov. 25.
The Bond films make a significant portion of their profits from international markets. The last film, "Spectre," made over $679 million from overseas theaters in 2015 with over $84 million of that total coming from China.
Concerns had already been brewing around the imminent release and the global outbreak. Publicity plans in China, Japan and South Korea had previously been canceled. And on Monday, the popular James Bond fan site MI6-HQ published an open letter to the producers urging them to delay the film's rollout.
"It is time to put public health above marketing release schedules and the cost of canceling publicity events," the letter said.
Hollywood film release and production schedules have already been affected by the outbreak. Last week, Paramount Pictures halted production on the seventh "Mission: Impossible" film, which had been scheduled to shoot in Venice, Italy. The studio also postponed the Chinese release of "Sonic the Hedgehog."
The coronavirus outbreak emerged in China and has spread globally. In all, more than 94,000 people have contracted the virus worldwide, with more than 3,200 deaths.
SMPTE elects board officers, regional governors
SMPTEยฎ,the home of media professionals, technologists, and engineers, has revealed the board officers and regional governors who will serve terms beginning in January 2025.
Three new officers--Richard Welsh as SMPTE president, Eric Gsell as SMPTE executive VP, and Polly Hickling as SMPTE Education VP--have been elected for a two-year term from Jan. 1, 2025, to Dec. 31, 2026. One SMPTE officer, Lisa Hobbs, will be continuing her service as SMPTE secretary and treasurer for another two-year term. Additionally, Raymond Yeung will be stepping into the role of standards VP on Jan. 1, 2025.
โSMPTEโs membership has spoken,โ said SMPTE interim executive director Sally-Ann DโAmato. โThese officers have been tasked with an important responsibility, one each of them is prepared to tackle head-on. These next two years are looking bright for SMPTE!โ
In addition to the officers, 10 regional governors were elected by the Society to serve two-year 2025-2026 terms.
These include the following regional governors, re-elected to continue their service:
Asia-Pacific Region Governor
Tony Ngai, Society of Motion Imaging Ltd.
EMEA - Central & South America Region Governor
Fernando Bittencourt, FB Consultant
United Kingdom Region Governor
Chris Johns, Sky UK.
USA - Central Region Governor
William T. Hayes, Consultant
USA - Eastern Region Governor
Dover Jeanne Mundt, Riedel Communications
USA - Western Region Governor
Jeffrey F. Way, Open Drives
Also elected were four newcomers to the SMPTE Board:
Canada Region Governor
Jonathan Jobin, Grass Valley
USA - Hollywood Region Governor
Allan Schollnick, Voxx... Read More