After a bleak two years following the COVID-19 pandemic which prompted many delays and led to record-low numbers for the box office, it seems as if cinema may finally be back, or at least a step towards it as Denis Villeneuve’sDune and Cary Joji Fukunaga’sNo Time To Die, being Daniel Craig’s last outing as the iconic James Bond character, set their release dates in China, making their entry to the world’s biggest film market. Cinephiles all over the world see this as good news after the whole film industry was left all over the place following the pandemic, due to which plans were changed and movies delayed.
At the forefront of this delay wasNo Time to Die, one of the most anticipated films of last year, as fans are anxious to see Daniel Craig make his final return as Bond. The two films will be released in successive October weekends withDune making its debut on October 22, after being released in some countries where cinemas remain open, whileNo Time To Dielands itself an October 29 release date in China, which is 3 weeks after its debut in America.
This is certainly a joyous moment for fans who have been waiting ages to know for sure whether or not they will be able to watch two of the most anticipated films of the year, aftermany delayed blockbustersfail to set a concrete release date and with the unexpected amount of delays and uncertainty surrounding the whole situation. This comes after the roaring success of Marvel’sShang Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Ringswhich prompted Sony’sVenom: Let There Be Carnageto release earlier than announced to capitalize on the situation. There has been great worry and uncertainty around the release of the two movies as fans have been given ample reason to worry, after the amount of delays thatNo Time To Diehas specifically gone through.
However, many fans are concerned aboutpiracy and illegal streamingof both of the movies asDune has already been released in certain parts of Europe and Asia andNo Time To Die set to debut almost a month after its US release. This comes after China’s patriotic day, Oct 1, and the subsequent Patriotic Week running throughout the first week of October, which is one of the biggest box office periods of the year.
Added hype forNo Time To Diewas gathered when a BTS video of Daniel Craig saying farewell to the character in an emotional speech was released, and with Denis Villeneuve having one of the largest cult-fan followings in recent history, the anticipation forDune is as high as ever, after it earned a substantially long standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival, adding fuel to its fire, and with Villeneuve having his fair share of success in the Chinese domestic market withBlade Runner: 2049 andArrival, it is clear that both fans and the director himself is looking forward to the release alike. Fans are also dying to seeNo Time To Die which will culminate Craig’s Bond, and even more excited to see what comes next. They can only hope that the pandemic situation normalizes andcinemasstart getting back to normal, as soon as possible. This news arrives viaVariety.
