Bond film set for biggest opening at Odeon since summer 2019

London-based cinema operator Odeon said on Monday it has sold more than 175,000 tickets for the James Bond movie "No Time to Die" that is hitting the big screen this week after multiple delays wrought by the pandemic. Cinema operators have been banking on the popularity of the decades-old Bond franchise to accelerate a revival in the beaten-down sector.

London-based cinema operator Odeon said on Monday it has sold more than 175,000 tickets for the James Bond movie "No Time to Die" that is hitting the big screen this week after multiple delays wrought by the pandemic. The company, owned by U.S.-listed AMC, said attendance in its UK venues this month was tracking 10% above pre-crisis levels, boosted by demand for the 25th Bond film.

"The latest Bond film, 'No Time to Die', is set to be the biggest opening at ODEON cinemas since summer 2019," Odeon said. The movie, actor Daniel Craig's last outing as the special agent, was postponed at least three times from its originally planned April 2020 release as the coronavirus outbreak forced cinemas around the world to close.

Bond is attracting older cinema-goers in particular -- Odeon said that more than one-third of the tickets were booked by people over the age of 46. Cinema operators have been banking on the popularity of the decades-old Bond franchise to accelerate a revival in the beaten-down sector.

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