No Time to Die scored $56 million in the box office opening weekend, despite being delayed over a year and Daniel Craig's last role as the title character
The long-anticipated new James Bond movie, No Time To Die, made a disappointing $56million in its opening weekend in the US - sparking speculation vaccine and mask mandates may have put 007 fans off going to their local movie theater.
No Time To Die had been predicted to make up to $60m in the US in its opening weekend, with its disappointing total falling far short of the $90m post-COVID record set by Venom 2 last week.
By comparison, No Time To Die made $35m during its opening weekend in the United Kingdom after being released there on September 30 following a lavish London premiere attended by the stars of the film, as well as royals including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
Great Britain is home to 66.7 million people, compared to the 329.5 million who live in the US, meaning that the movie could easily have crashed through the $170m barrier in its opening weekend had the same proportion of Americans had gone to see it as Brits.
Vaccine rules have also been speculated as a cause for the lukewarm opener, with everyone in the UK allowed to go to see a movie without having to show proof of COVID vaccination, or wear a mask.
The United States' most populous city, New York, requires all moviegoers to show proof of vaccination, although they don't have to wear masks inside.
New Orleans and San Francisco have also ordered moviegoers to show proof of vaccination.
Meanwhile, Los Angeles - home to the US entertainment industry, and an avid population of cinemagoers - has ordered people to mask-up indoors regardless of vaccination status, making the classic moviegoing experience far less relaxed than usual. LA will also enforce a vaccination mandate from November 4.
This chart shows the opening weekend takings for No Time To Die in the US and UK, compared to opening weekend takings for the other Daniel Craig-era Bond films. Great Britain has a population size that is almost five times smaller than the United States
However, the film brought in $35 million in the UK – which has about five times fewer the people and no requirements for guests to be vaccinated or wear masks as is the case in American theaters
No Time To Die has not been launched simultaneously on a streaming platform, with the lukewarm opening weekend coming despite predictions moviegoers would flock to see the latest installment in the iconic spy franchise.
America's largest cinema chains have previously warned they'll strictly enforce local rules, amid previous claims that making patrons feel safe is key to repairing the COVID-ravaged movie theater business. That saw thousands of theaters shut for most of 2020, and few new releases to encourage movie vans to venture out in areas where they remained open.
Ahead of the summer, major U.S. movie chains including AMC Entertainment, Cinemark and Regal Cinemas posted on their websites that guests must be fully vaccinated or will be asked to continue wearing masks unless they are eating or drinking.
All three chains added that said they would follow state and local mandates on mask wearing, which may be different from the CDC guidelines.
No Time To Die, which sees Daniel Craig giving one last performance as the title character, was one of the first films to be delayed at the start of the pandemic in 2020, and was ultimately postponed four times. Despite the wait, however, and claims it was the movie to save the cinema industry, it flopped in comparison to the four previous films starring Craig as Bond, and has a $300m budget to recoup.
Spectre saw a US opening weekend in 2015 that brought in $70 million, Skyfall hit $88 million when it premiered in 2012 and Quantum of Solace scored $67 million in 2009. Casino Royale, the first Bond film starring Craig, flopped with a $40 million box office weekend score, although all four films ultimately turned a profit, and are considered international box office successes.
By comparison, No Time To Die performed better than any of its predecessors in the UK. Spectre brought in $32 million in its UK opening weekend in 2015, Skyfall took home $27 million and Quantum of Solace scored $25 million. Casino Royale brought in just $18 million.
In certain cities like New York City and, as of next month, Los Angeles, patrons must show proof of vaccination to enter movie theaters
Phil Clapp, chief executive of British cinema industry body the UKCA, told Deadline last spring that for
