Sam Mendes’s currently untitled Bond 24 just got a shot of Oscar power with the addition of two-time winner Christoph Waltz. The Daily Mail reports the actor has indeed joined the cast, but it’s not clear if he’s the actual villain of the film. He will play a significant role, but it will be a complex one that isn’t immediately evident as “friend, foe, or a bit of both.”
But the site also reports from another source that role is “extremely cunning” and “a nemesis of sorts.” Okay, so he’s playing the villain right? What’s the deal? The report confuses further:
“Not so fast . . . just because he has played bad guys in other movies doesn’t mean he’s going to be the baddie here,” a Bond 24 spook told me, in a clear bit of misdirection.
It seems like a lock that Waltz will eventually be revealed as the villain, which is extremely exciting for the project. Waltz is tremendous in the intelligent villain roles and should be a blast to watch in the film. Perhaps the reason for the secrecy is because he’s playing a classic Bond villain? There were rumors circulating at one point that Blofeld could be a part of the next Bond film. I could definitely buy Waltz as a modernized, less Dr Evil-ish version of the legendary villain in the new franchise.
Bond 24 begins filming in early December with Sam Mendes directing and Daniel Craig returning as James Bond.
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