James Bond is a bygone relic but Daniel Craig’s final outing in No Time to Die could help save cinema - Anthony Clavane

We all know the reply, of course. All together now: “No, Mr Bond, I expect you to die.”

The international gold smuggler’s nifty riposte came to mind when MGM and Universal insisted, last week, that they will push ahead with next month’s premiere of No Time to Die in London.

Hurrah! Finally, after a series of delays, the $250m blockbuster will hit the cinemas; Daniel Craig’s final appearance as the suave, sophisticated super-spy has been pushed back three times since its original release date.

Eagle-eyed readers may have noticed that my jubilation at this news appears to be something of a volte-face.

Two years ago, I was less than enthusiastic about Bond’s 25th outing.

Responding to the announcement that No Time To Die would be released the following April, and would be Craig’s swansong, I cheerfully admitted I was not a fan. “To some he might be a suave, sophisticated super-spy,” I declared. “To others he is an ill-mannered, unreconstructed elderly geezer in a tux who has long since failed to move with the times. To me, he is a sexist, sadistic relic of a bygone era.”

This is not a mea culpa. I still think these things. But there is a bigger picture (apologies for the pun) to consider here.

For, mirroring Goldfinger’s presumptuous stance, many people had been expecting global cinema itself to die as a result of the global pandemic.

It’s certainly been a bleak time for the film industry since the first around-the-world lockdowns. After more than a year of shuttered cinemas, and the rise of streaming platforms, obituary writers have been busily producing columns paying homage to a supposedly extinct art form.

Like Sean Connery in that 1964 classic, however, the picture palaces may be down, but they’re not out. Let’s say they are at a crossroads.

As anyone who has seen any Bond films at all during the past six decades will know, our hero, in his different incarnations, always escapes death in the nick of time.

This is because, for some unknown reason, villains always prefer to give our hero a long lecture about their plans for world domination rather than immediately kill him.

Whether it’s a giant laser, an outbreak of deadly nerve gas or a lake of man-eating crocodiles, our hero always somehow manages to survive – before returning to save the world.

Or, to be more specific in this case, to save the world of cinema.

Whether I like it or not, the macho MI6 agent’s last two movies grossed almost $2 billion. And exhibitors are hopeful that No Time To Die will achieve an opening weekend close to the franchise’s pre-Covid norms. This would be a huge shot in the arm for the industry.

And, whether I like it or not, Bond is always a big draw for the public.

This time around, he could be an even bigger draw. On top of the usual rooftop chases, tedious train scenes and shaken-not-stirred martinis, there will be lots of hype about Craig’s last stand, Billie Eilish’s theme song and Rami Malek’s appearance as the villain who likes to give our hero a long lecture before killing him. Or failing to kill him.

Most importantly of all, MGM and Universal are not planning hybrid theatrical and digital releases of the movie.

They do not want it distributed online, on platforms such as Netflix and Amazon. Watching newly-released films on streaming services harms their box office

revenue.

Since Covid restrictions were lifted in England, box office takings have risen to half of their pre-pandemic level. Cinemas are reported to be “very pleased” with the figures.

It is important to protect the experience of going to the movies.

The big screen, the popcorn, the luxurious seats and the communal magic of being together in a dark space without external stimuli – all this is surely preferable to sitting at home in front of a small screen.

Let’s hope that reports of the death of cinema have been greatly exaggerated.