Film Bond’s biggest enemy: Demographics

No Time to Die soundtrack cover

For at least 25 years, maybe longer, the makers of James Bond movies and the studios that finance the films, have fretted about demographics.

It’s no secret that 007 skews to an older audience. The first film in the series debuted more than 60 years ago and the second, From Russia With Love, came out 60 years ago next month.

In the 21st century, there was a local radio ad in the Detroit area for a lawn-care service. In the ad, a father is supposedly talking to his daughter. As the ad unfolds, the father says, “That’s just like James Bond.”

“Who’s that?” the daughter responds.

That was a little harsh, but it reflects reality.

With No Time to Die, the most recent Bond film, 007 had soft financial results, at least in the U.S. NTTD’s U.S. box office was just shy of $161 million, putting it at No. 007 among movies in the American market in 2021. That was down from about $200 million for 2015’s SPECTRE and even further down from $304 million from 2012’s Skyfall. All that despite rising theater prices during this era.

Some Bond fans dispute whether this is important. Well, Bond skews older so that’s not a factor, so the argument goes.

Not a factor? The money men of films and TV keep a close eye on demographics.

To be sure, many movies would kill to generate a $160 million box office in the U.S. But No Time to Die had major spending problems. That included the costs of a 350-foot replica rocket and a Russian gulag set in Canada which weren’t even used in the movie.

Also, No Time to Die went to pay-per-view in the U.S. a little more than a month after its U.S. debut. At that time, despite COVID, a monster hit would have an exclusive theater run of at least 45 days.

In addition, some Bond fans say “What about Mission: Impossible 7’s box office?” Well, what about it? The M:I series has never surpassed Bond at the box office. Both are popular with established fan bases. Yet each has encountered excessive spending with recent entries.

Bond, somehow, some way, needs to reach younger audiences. But its demographics aren’t an excuse for No Time to Die’s box office. That’s why studio executives get the big bucks.