Could new James Bond movie No Time To Die to become the highest grossing UK film of all-time?
William Hill punters certainly think so, with the price dropping from 10-1 to 7-1 so far.
After opening to five-star reviews in an unprecendented 772 cinemas in the UK and Ireland on Thursday, the 25th instalment in the series will need to its £314 million budget and recoup total costs of $900m.
Universal has said No Time To Die up to £5 million on the first day if release, but can it hold up to the pressure of carrying the cinema industry back into pre-COVID levels of success?
Previous Daniel Craig-starring Bond films Skyfall (£103.2m) and Spectre (£95.2m) are second and third respectively in the all-time UK and Irish box office earnings.
“Bond is clearly tempting people back to the Cinema and we think there is a real chance that it could smash UK box office records,” said William Hill spokesman Rupert Adams.
Could Bond Win an Oscar?
Meanwhile, Daniel Craig will never make another Bond movie, but he could be the first incumbent to win an Academy Award for Best Actor, currently considered at 100-1 by William Hill, while No Time To Die is 66-1 to land Best Picture. Plenty of more artistic and less mainstream movies are in for better results at this early stage, however. But could the franchise win one of the five “big” Oscars?
Rupert Adams says “James Bond could single handedly be about to save the cinema industry and for that surely he deserves an Oscar.” The movie has already proved popular with critics, but over the years has managed just five academy awards (one for visual effects, two for sound editing, and a further two for best original song) from 15 nominations. To make a real impact at the 94th Academy Awards next March, No Time To Die would have to be nominated in and win one of the big five categories: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, or Best Screenplay.
Daniel Craig’s performances have certainly brought a new dimension to Bond over the past 15 years. But does No Time To Die deserve serious Oscar success?