‘No Time to Die’ Has a Good Time at the Box Office

Surprising no one, the 25th (official) film in the James Bond franchise, No Time to Die, conquered this weekend’s domestic box office. The Cary Joji Fukunaga-helmed actioner packed $56 million into the trunk of the franchise’s fabled Aston Martin, sending Daniel Craig into retirement from MI6 and inspiring amateur casting directors everywhere to find his replacement.

That said, the domestic haul came in a smidge less than expected, according to Variety’s report. The industry trade paper wrote that No Time to Die was “projected to make $60 million to $70 million in its first three days of release.” Still, the actual numbers were “not a disaster,” they pointed out. Moreover, as the Hollywood Reporter notes, the film has already crossed the $300-million mark when including foreign markets. It opened on its home turf of Great Britain last week.

Variety estimates that 007’s latest had a $250-million production budget and cost $100 million in marketing, plus added fees for the picture’s multiple delays. The studio’s goal, they wrote, is for the film to earn $800 million during the theatrical window.

No Time to Die was the first major film to move its release date due to COVID-19 in March 2020. It was originally scheduled for April, then bumped to November. In October 2020, Billie Eilish released her video of the title song, suggesting things were still a go. But a few weeks later, the film was punted to April 2021 before ultimately taking its final bow in September-October.

Concerning the slightly diminished numbers in the U.S., there are plenty of theories. The movie is long at 163 minutes, and theaters can’t pack in as many screenings per day as a result. Last week’s big winner, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, which earned $90 million, clocks in at a comparatively brisk 97 minutes. (Incidentally, Venom did very well in the silver medal slot, with $32 million in its second weekend.)

There’s also my personal belief that many people will leave the theater more shaken than stirred. This doesn’t mean the movie isn’t good (it is, in my estimation) but the conclusion (which I am desperately trying not to spoil) is so not what you expect that it might have generated a bit of bad word-of-mouth. Hard to prove, but also hard to disprove!

One thing is certain: Whatever happens with the franchise, we must all work together to ensure that Ana de Armas stays part of it and gets more time onscreen.

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