Bond fan site appeals to have 'No Time To Die' release delayed due to coronavirus spread

Leading James Bond fan site MI6-HQ has appealed directly to the producers of the Bond movies, asking them to consider delaying the release of No Time To Die.

In an open letter to Eon Productions, Universal and MGM, it's asked the companies to “put public health above marketing release schedules and the cost of canceling publicity events”, in the wake of the spread of coronavirus worldwide.

Read more: Mission: Impossible 7 filming suspended in Venice

“Delay the release of No Time To Die until the summer when experts expect the epidemics to have peaked and to be under control,” it suggests.

“It’s just a movie. The health and well-being of fans around the world, and their families, is more important. We have all waited over 4 years for this film. Another few months will not damage the quality of the film and only help the box-office for Daniel Craig’s final hurrah.”

As it stands, the movie is set for release in the UK on 2 April.

But Universal and MGM have already cancelled the movie's premiere in China, after the world's second biggest box office market shuttered the vast majority of its cinemas as the virus has spread.

There have also been cinema closures in Italy, after an outbreak in the north of the country saw several towns quarantined.

Filming of the new Mission: Impossible movie in Venice has also recently been suspended by Paramount Pictures.

Read more: Chinese premiere of No Time To Die axed

Meanwhile, several other movies have also had their premieres in China axed in the wake of the spreading virus, including Sam Mendes' Oscar-winning 1917, Robert Downey Jr's Dolittle, Taika Waititi's Jojo Rabbit and video game adaptation Sonic The Hedgehog.

More than 81,000 people in China have been infected, with nearly 3,000 deaths, although authorities are now reporting a slower increase in cases.

Confirmed cases in South Korea are now approaching 5,000, with a death toll of 28.

In the UK, Boris Johnson has warned that cases of the virus could rise significantly, with the current figure standing at 39 as of Monday.