No time to miss out on new Bond movie in Peterborough

No Time To Die is poised to give cinemas around the country the biggest opening since 2019, as ticket sales boom following the release of the blockbuster.

The highly-anticipated James Bond film, which will be Daniel Craig’s final outing in the role, has been released today Thursday (September 30) following a glittering world premiere at the Royal Albert Hall on Tuesday evening, attended by members of the Royal family.

Showcase in Peterborough has screenings running throughout the day starting from 10am until the last one tonight at 10.15pm, with a total of 96 screenings at the cinema up to Sunday night.

A Peterborough Showcase spokesman said: “No Time To Die is without doubt the most highly anticipated film release in the UK in recent times.

“Demand for tickets has been huge, highlighting the desire for guests to watch blockbuster films where they were intended – the big screen.

“Pre sales have been extremely strong at Showcase Cinema de Lux Peterborough, and up to the midnight screenings last night were second only in our history to Avengers: Endgame, which of course went on to become the highest grossing film of all time.”

Tomorrow, Showcase screenings start at 10am and the last screening is at 11.45pm. Over the weekend the film will be screened in 26 time slots on Saturday starting at 10am and finishing at 11.45pm and there will be 22 screnings on Sunday from 10am to 10pm.

Nationally, cinema chain Odeon said it has already sold more than 175,000 tickets for the film in the two weeks since they went on sale and expects the film to be the biggest since the summer of 2019.

Meanwhile, Cineworld, which closed the doors to its cinemas when the film was delayed again last year, said it has already sold out a number of screenings.

Vue cinemas have sold more than 270,000 tickets in advance of the release and are expecting the film to be their biggest since the Star Wars instalment The Rise Of Skywalker in December 2019.

The film suffered multiple release delays because of the coronavirus pandemic but bosses resisted calls for it to be made available to watch at home.

The cast and creatives have since stressed they hope it will provide a shot in the arm to multiplexes that are yet to rebound from months of closure.

Odeon said some 40% of tickets are going to patrons who are returning to the cinema for the first time since they re-opened following pandemic closures, with more than a third bought by film fans over the age of 46.

A statement from the chain said: “The film has seen the strongest level of demand from an older audience for over 18 months, showing the enduring popularity of everyone’s favourite spy.”

Cineworld, which closed 127 Cineworld and Picturehouse sites shortly after it was announced the film was being pushed back to April 2021, will screen the movie in all 100 cinemas it currently has open.

The chain said No Time To Die is now the best-selling film on pre-release bookings since Marvel’s Avengers Endgame in April 2019, with only two films – the superhero blockbuster and The Last Jedi – selling more tickets in their opening 24 hours in the past five years.

A spokesperson for Vue added: “We have sold over 270,000 tickets in pre-sales.

“Based on our sales, we expect No Time To Die to be the biggest film in the UK and Ireland since Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker back in December 2019.”

The top grossing film of the year so far in the UK is Peter Rabbit 2, which has amassed £20.2 million since its release in May, according to figures provided to the PA news agency by the BFI.

Marvel’s Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings posted the biggest three-day opening in the pandemic era in the UK with £5.8 million.