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On Wednesday MGM, Universal and the Bond producers announced that the release of No Time to Die has been postponed to 27 November in South Africa due to the spread of Covid-19.
READ MORE: Coronavirus threat sees James Bond film release postponed
According to Vanity Fair, the 25th instalment of the Bond franchise is the first major blockbuster to change its release date because of the outbreak that has killed over 3 000 people across the world.
In January the filmmakers reportedly cancelled the Beijing premiere and a promotional tour set for April, reports AFP.
In February production of Mission: Impossible 7 was brought to a halt indefinitely after 299 cases were reported in Venice where the movie was being filmed.
Over the weekend CBS network and the producers of The Amazing Race shut down production on the latest season.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the global film industry is facing a big loss amidst the outbreak.
Cinemas in China have been closed for weeks affecting movie going in South Korea, Italy and Japan.
The publication says that analysts estimated a $5 million loss from box office revenue and halts to movie production. The figure could grow if theatres in the US are impacted.
The Cannes Film Festival which is set to run from 12 – 23 May in the French Rivera.
On Friday the festival organisers said in a statement that it is preparing for this year's event.
"The Festival de Cannes is monitoring carefully the developments and the latest guidelines provided by the local, national and international authorities regarding the coronavirus and is in direct link with the Alpes-Maritimes' administrative office."
The coronavirus pandemic has also seen a rise in the streaming of the 2011 thriller Contagion by Steven Soderbergh.
The medical thriller which stars Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jude Law and Kate Winslet centres on healthcare professionals, government officials and everyday people find themselves in the midst of a worldwide epidemic as the CDC works to find a cure.
According to Warner Bros, the film was at number 270 in its catalogue titles in December. It has now jumped to second best.
The New York Times reports that it is trending on Amazon Prime Video and also appeared in the iTunes top 10.
Even Moonlight director Barry Jenkins shared on Twitter that he watched the film again.
He wrote: "We woke up this morning and watched CONTAGION. Still so damn good, @Bitchuation makes it look effortless. Also, their website in the end credits is still live. Looks like the world is gonna catch up to this fantastic film."
SEE THE TWEET HERE:
We woke up this morning and watched CONTAGION. Still sooooooo damn good, @Bitchuation makes it look effortless. Also... their website in the end credits is still live. Looks like the world is gonna catch up to this fantastic film — https://t.co/DXKLpR4Fpj
— Barry Jenkins (@BarryJenkins) March 1, 2020
FYI: Coronavirus 101 – what you need to know
Compiled by Leandra Engelbrecht
