Javier Bardem Might Haunt Captain Jack In PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES

Pirates of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales has been in development for a very long time, take from that what you will. It's been a while since we heard any sort of casting news concerning the project, even though it's expected to begin shooting soon in Australia. The film has a release date of July 7th, 2017 with Joachim Ronning and Espen Sandberg directing.

TheWrap reports that Spanish actor Javier Bardem (Skyfall, No Country For Old Men) has been offered the villain role. He would play ghost pirate Captain Brand, who seeks revenge on Jack Sparrow. Christoph Waltz was the last actor in the mix for the part, but was never given an offer. Waltz is the villain of Warner Bros' Tarzan, so it's unlikely they'll want him here as well. You might remember that Deadline reported on Bardem's desire to play Black Beard in Joe Wright's Pan, the role would eventually go to Hugh Jackman.

Geoffrey Rush is set to return, while it's unknown if we'll see actors like Stephen Graham and Ian McShane return once more. There was also a bit of a teaser at the end of On Stranger Tides that Penelope Cruz would be returning too. I'm sure Disney would love to see the couple in the same film.

SOURCE: THEWRAP

Penelope Cruz Linked For The Second-Time As Bond Girl In Sam Mendes' BOND 24

French magazine Premiere (via ThePlaylist) has caught-wind of an updated casting list of Bond 24 from Sony, apparently the new addition is Spanish actress Penelope Cruz. She had been rumored to be in the mix back in June and it's quite possible she's landed one of the two new female roles in the film. The second, according TheWrap is a Scandinavian woman with a troubled past. Craig recently dropped out of a indie film, which could mean Sam Mendes is ready to begin production on the 24th installment. Her husband Javier Bardem played the baddie in Skyfall, which might have played a part in her being approached for the role.

TheWrap also linked Chiwetel Ejiofor as in the mix for the villain role, which could make this one of more interesting Bond casts ever. The returning cast includes Daniel Craig, Naomie Harris, Ralph Fiennes and Ben Whishaw. Production is expected to begin soon, with the release date set for fall (October in the UK and November in the US) of 2015

SOURCE: PREMIERE

Teaser Trailer For Cormac McCarthy/Ridley Scott's THE COUNSELOR Starring Michael Fassbender, Brad Pitt, Javier Bardem, Pene

Penelope Cruz Set For Role In BOND 24?

News of director Sam Mendes returning for Bond 24 and possibly Bond 25 recently was confirmed. Now a fresh rumor from Yahoo points to that Penelope Cruz might have a role in the follow up to Skyfall. If memory serves me right there was talk of female villain in the early stages of development for Bond 23. Daniel Craig's current partner Rachel Weisz had actually been linked for that possible role. Eventually, Javier Bardem (Penelope's husband) was cast instead and the original plot of an organization running the Afghanistan heroin trade was also scrapped for an M related revenge plot.

Cameron Diaz Joins Ridley Scott's 'THE COUNSELOR'

Twitch reports that Cameron Diaz has landed the female role in Ridley Scott's The Counselor which Angelina Jolie had been eyeing. While most know Diaz for her touch-and-go comedic career, she played a ruthless team owner in Oliver Stone's Any Given Sunday. The film was a career highlight but Diaz decided not to pursue more dramatic roles. Hopefully Cameron brings a similar intensity to this film. Michael Fassbender leads the cast with Javier Bardem and Brad Pitt playing villains of the picture with Penelope Cruz still circling a role.