Rumor: Christoph Waltz to Play Villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld in 'Bond 24'

A few months ago we learned that producers were looking for Daniel Craig's 007 to face a memorable  villain in Bond 24, and so they hired Guardians of the Galaxy's Dave Bautista to fill that role. But that was just as a henchman, with Christoph Waltz brought on recently to play the brains behind whatever nefarious scheme Bond must prevent, and it looks like the Oscar-winning actor will be portraying Bond's greatest nemesis.

According to the DailyMail, who have the best ears when it comes to sifting out Bond news, Waltz will be playing Ernst Stavro Blofeld, the head of the criminal organization SPECTRE. Blofeld appeared in six Bond films, seven if you include 1983's Thunderball remake Never Say Never Again, played on screen by Donald Pleasence, Telly Savalas, Charles Gray, and Max von Sydow. The character is probably best known as the inspiration for Mike Myers' Dr. Evil character in the Austin Powers movies.

This is all just a rumor but it does make some degree of sense. MGM had been a dispute with Thunderball writer Kevin McClory over the film rights to Blofeld, but those were settled some months ago meaning the character could be used again. That appears to be exactly what MGM and director Sam Mendes intend to do. Production on the still-untitled Bond film begins next month for release November 6th 2015.

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Christoph Waltz Rumored for Villain Role in 'Bond 24'

Although we still don't know the title, the 24th James Bond film is set to go into production soon, and over the last few weeks we've seen the cast start to come together. Dave Bautista (Guardians of the Galaxy) and Lea Seydoux (Blue is the Warmest Color) were the most recent additions as a henchman and "femme fatale" respectively, but they still need a prime bad guy to report, and it appears that role will be filled by Christoph Waltz.

The report comes from Daily Mail's Baz Bamigboye, who has a pretty good track record on stories like this. While he doesn't specifically state that Waltz will be duking it out with Daniel Craig's 007, villains are what Waltz does best. He recently dropped out of Pirates of the Caribbean 5, with his role there now being occupied by Skyfall's Javier Bardem.

Bond 24 opens November 6th 2015 and will reunite director Sam Mendes with Craig, Naomie Harris, Ben Whishaw, and Ralph Fiennes

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Dave Bautista will Battle 007 in 'Bond 24'

Sorry, WWE fans, it doesn't look like Dave Bautista will be headed to the squared circle any time soon. While there had been some talk of a return, the Guardians of the Galaxy star continues to add one project after another, and now he's landed one of the biggest of his career by joining the next James Bond film!

Earlier this year a rumor surfaced that Sam Mendes and Bond producers were looking for an extremely physical "iconic" villain to face off against Daniel Craig's 007, and Bautista will now fit that role according to Latino Review's story. They also say the character is being referred to as "Hinx" during production but that could change...and hopefully it does. If their sources prove accurate this would be another big step in Bautista's career. While he's not quite on the level of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson I think it's safe to say he's on the right track.

Bond 24 brings back Craig, Naomie Harris, Ben Whishaw, and Ralph Fiennes with new addition Lea Seydoux. The film is expected to open on November 6th 2015. Bautista recently signed on to play the villain Tong Po in the Kickboxer remake, and of course will return as Drax the Destroyer in Guardians of the Galaxy 2.

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'Bond 24' Adds Lea Seydoux as Femme Fatale

We're only about a year away from Bond 24's supposed release date, and still we know next to nothing about it. The film has no title and other than the returning cast of Daniel Craig, Ralph Fiennes, Ben Whishaw, and Naomie Harris there is little word on who will be starring in it. Last summer a rumor surfaced that Lea Seydoux would circling the "Bond Girl" role in the film, and now Baz Bamigboye at the DailyMail is confirming it to be true.

Seydoux, who starred in the acclaimed drama Blue is the Warmest Colour, has signed on to play a sexy femme fatale in the next Bond flick.  Chances are she won't be the only one, though, as Bond likes to keep his options open when it comes to the ladies he bags. Hey, you know it's true. Penelope Cruz has been mentioned as a possibility, which would be interesting considering her husband Javier Bardem played the villain in Skyfall. As for Seydoux, she'll meet with the rest of the cast in November and prep for filming which is to begin in December.

Bond 24 opens November 6th 2015.

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A Physically Imposing, Iconic Villain Sought for 'Bond 24'

Little of what we've heard about the sequel to Skyfall has been positive. Mostly it's revolved around casting rumors, but nothing official, and production delays, which sadly have turned out to be all too true. While Chiwetel Ejiofor, Penelope Cruz, and Lea Seydoux have been mentioned as eying roles in the Sam Mendes-directed film, possibly as villains, the James Bond site MI6 says producers may be searching for an iconic, physically imposing Bond villain to match up with Daniel Craig.

Casting has begun for the main assassin, with the search specifically focussed on someone extremely physically fit and over 6' 2". Whoever wins the role will have several altercations with Daniel Craig's 007 throughout the film and also a driving sequence. Former sports athletes will be under consideration along with anyone 'very unusual'. The character has the working name of 'Hinx' (which may change before shooting starts) and is said to be between 30 and 45 years old.

Whoever this character is he will definitely be a henchman not the brains behind the evil operation, and  the goal is to create the next Oddjob or Jaws. Craig is the most athletic and physical Bond the franchise has ever had but he's yet to have an opponent who can match him. It's about time he had one. Bond 24 is expected to begin filming late this year or early next.

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Is Lea Seydoux the Next Bond Girl?

It's been a little bit of a roller coaster figuring out where things stand with the 24th James Bond film. Sam Mendes has been a little flaky about returning to the Skyfall follow-up, and last we heard it had been delayed as franchise scribes Neal Purvis and Robert Wade came back to punch up John Logan's script. But casting has also been an issue with Chiwetel Ejiofor and Penelope Cruz rumored for roles. But now a new story from the guys at Schmoes Know says Palm d'Or winner Lea Seydoux is next in line to play a Bond Girl.

The site, which has been surprisingly accurate on a lot of this stuff lately, says the Blue is the Warmest Color star is up for an unspecified role in the film, while speculating she could be playing secret agent Miranda Frost. Frost would be a returning character after being portrayed by Rosamund Pike in Die Another Day, so if that's true it would be a pretty big deal. This is based on some earlier reporting on their part but at this point nothing has been confirmed, and with the script undergoing some changes who knows where anything stands.

So we'll see what happens. If Seydoux does come aboard she would be joining Daniel Craig when Bond 24 begins shooting in 2015.

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Bond 24 Delayed Due to Script Rewrites by Returning Writers

The updates we've received on Bond 24 have been infrequent, but last we heard from Daniel Craig the production was gearing up to begin in October. Along with some rumors of Chiwetel Ejiofor as the Bond villain and Penelope Cruz as a Bond girl, everything seemed to be proceeding along for Sam Mendes and screenwriter John Logan. But it turns out things are not going so smoothly as it appears the script still needs some work; enough that it may push back filming significantly.

According to Baz Bamigboye at The Daily Mail, veteran Bond writers Neal Purvis and Robert Wade have come aboard to give the script a lift. Specifically they're being brought in to punch up the humor and add  "more gags, emphasizing the witty repartee between Daniel Craig’s 007 and Naomie Harris’s Miss Moneypenny, and focusing on the interplay between Bond and Ralph Fiennes’s M."

That doesn't sound like much but the story says enough work needs to be done that filming is being pushed back to December, which would seem to be a threat to the movie hitting the target November 2015 release date. 

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Penelope Cruz Confirmed for Next Bond Film?

With Daniel Craig suddenly dropping out of The Whole Truth, and a pair of actresses eyed as Bond Girls, it does seem as if preparations are under way for the next James Bond film. About a year ago, word began to spread that Penelope Cruz may have a role in the follow-up to Skyfall, on the heels of her husband Javier Bardem's villainous turn. And now her name has surfaced again, but does it mean she's been confirmed?

French site Premiere has the story, noticing that a recent Sony schedule has Cruz listed as part of the cast along with Craig, Naomie Harris, and Ralph Fiennes. It could be an error, conflating rumor as fact, so until something official comes down just keep this filed away as a maybe. Interestingly, Ben Whishaw's name wasn't listed and he's fully expected to return as Q. We've also yet to hear an update on rumors of Chiwetel Ejiofor as the bad guy Bond will tangle with.

Bond 24 opens November 6th 2015.

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Chiwetel Ejiofor Could Be Next Bond Villain; Two Bond Girls Sought

After years of many people saying Chiwetel Ejiofor was a future star, he finally made it last year with his Oscar-nominated performance in 12 Years a Slave. And that has opened up a lot of doors, especially with rumors that he could be in the next Star Wars film. But now a new opportunity could be on the horizon, one that would see him join the long-running James Bond franchise.

According to Variety, Sony and MGM are eying Ejiofor as the main villain in Bond 24. It doesn't seem as if any offers have been made yet, but he is their top choice assuming any scheduling problems can be ironed out. It wouldn't be his first time as a bad guy, either, as he stalked the Firefly crew in Serenity and challenged Clive Owen in Children of Men. He'd certainly be a worthy successor to the excellent Javier Bardem in Skyfall. I've got mixed emotions about this, only because a small part of me thought Ejiofor would make a pretty good Bond down the line, and this would likely disqualify him.

And with casting on the upswing, the search for two Bond girls has begun, one British and one Scandinavian. According to Aftonbladet, via our friends over at Bleeding Cool, Ida Engvoll and Disa Östrand have already tested for the roles. Neither has been in anything of note here in the States, but a look at their photos gives a pretty good idea why they may be in consideration.

Sam Mendes is back to direct Bond 24 from a John Logan script, with Daniel Craig, Naomie Harris, Ralph Fiennes, and Ben Whishaw all returning. Look for it to open on November 6th 2015. 

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