The latest James Bond blockbuster No Time to Die will no longer undertake a lucrative publicity tour in China as cinemas in the country remain shuttered in efforts to contain the deadly coronavirus.
The film, which marks star Daniel Craig’s last outing as the iconic spy, is still set to debut in North America on April 10.
Chinese cinemas and huge swathes of the world’s second largest economy have been shut since the country’s lunar new year holiday last month.
Daniel Craig and other key stars in the upcoming 25th Bond epic were due to travel to China for the film’s premiere, which was set for April in Beijing, the Sunday Times of London said.
But coronavirus, or COVID-19 as it is now designated, which has infected more than 69,000 people, has obliterated those plans.
More than 70,000 cinemas across China are currently closed because of the health scare, the report said, and a studio insider added that the key stars are unlikely to get clearance to travel there even if the cinemas start opening again by April.
The Chinese film market is the second largest in the world, with the last Bond film Spectre taking in a record breaking $51 million in its opening weekend alone.