NO TIME TO DIE FOR CINEMAS AS BOND SET TO BOOST BIG SCREENS

• Daniel Craig’s final outing as the legendary MI6 agent opens on September 30
• No Time to Die was delayed twice since original release date in November 2020
• Cinemas to get a welcome shot in the arm after box office takings plummeted by 76% in 2020

The new Bond movie, No Time to Die, will be the spark that brings film fans back to the beleaguered cinema industry, predicts entertainment firm and online gaming site, Party Casino.

Research carried out by the site found that a whopping 83% of movie-goers plan to watch the new Bond film*, whose release was delayed from 2020 to April 2021 and then September 30, 2021.

The news comes after a torrid year for cinema companies, with the total UK and Ireland box office for 2020 falling to £323m, a massive 76% down on 2019. Only 441 movies were released in 2020, less than half of the previous year, as the major chains either shut down completely (Cineworld) or cut, drastically, their opening times (Odeon, Vue).**

But PartyCasino’s analysis found that nearly half of fans (47%) will be prompted to make their first visit to a cinema since they were reopened nationally by the return to the silver screen of James Bond. The iconic secret agent was also voted the best movie secret agent in history as part of PartyCasino’s research.

The mothballing of Cineworld’s 128 UK venues last year was caused directly by the initial delay of No Time to Die. The rescheduling of the film’s release date also started a chain reaction across the movie world, with other titles including Dune, Wonder Woman and Black Widow following suit and delaying release dates.***

Younger movie lovers are the most excited to see No Time to Die, with more than three quarters (76%) of 18-24 year olds saying they will definitely watch it. However, they are also the least likely to venture out to the cinema to do so, with 72% planning to watch it at home or on demand.

Meanwhile, viewers aged 35-44 (55%) and 45-54 (47%) are most likely to watch on the big screen and it appears that men have been more cautious about visiting the cinema over the last year – more than half (51%) of men state that the Bond movie will be their first trip back to the cinema, compared with 42% of women.

Londoners have been the most eager to get back to the movie theatre, with more than three in five (65%) reporting that they have already been to see a film; only 29% of the Capital’s film fans will make No Time to Die their first since restrictions were eased.

The popularity of the iconic James Bond character has played a big part in bringing people back to the cinemas. PartyCasino’s research found that Bond, who will be played by Daniel Craig for the final time in No Time to Die, was overwhelmingly the nation’s favourite secret agent.

More than half (52%) named the suave MI6 operative at the top of their list. Matt Damon’s Jason Bourne was second in the list with 28% of the vote, followed by The Impossible Mission’s Ethan Hunt (19%), played by Tom Cruise.

Younger fans preferred several other agents to Bond, with Jason Bourne and Alec Leamas from The Spy Who Came In from the Cold registering more votes among 18-24 year olds, but Ronin’s Sam Regazolli (Robert de Niro) was the youngsters’ favourite, with 20% voting him top of the list.

Conversely, while Bond was the top choice of most aged 65 and over, Harry Palmer from The Ipcress File was also popular, with more than a quarter (26%) naming him.

PartyCasino marketing manager, David Winter, said: “James Bond clearly still has a massive place in the hearts of the British public – his magnetism, suaveness, witty one-liners and fearless stunts still draw the crowds they did decades ago.

“His return this month can only be a good thing for the UK cinema industry which, like most entertainment sectors, has been hit hard in the last year. James Bond always saves the day – here’s hoping he can save our cinemas too.”

To find out exactly why Bond is still such a huge draw, take a look at PartyCasino’s research on the public’s favourite stunts and casino scenes from 007’s back catalogue here: The Reasons why Britain Still Loves Bond | PartyCasino.

ENDS

*All data provided – Onepoll survey of 2000 movie fans, nationally representative; survey carried out September 2021

**Source: https://celluloidjunkie.com/2021/01/18/the-uk-cinema-industry-in-2020-a-year-to-learn-from/

***Source: https://www.wired.co.uk/article/cinema-industry-uk-collapse