Jesper Christiensen Returning As BOND Villain Mr. White In SPECTRE

According to an interview with Bond actor Jesper Christensen to Euroman (via CBM), he'll be reprising the role of villain Mr. White in Spectre. Jesper played the role in both Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace, being apart of his own villainous group Quantum. He's the only reoccurring villain the Daniel Craig films, which makes sense he's back for this installment.

"I am looking forward to working with Sam Mendes and Daniel Craig. It is a truly exciting script and a very capable team. So it'll be fun...".

It's extremely possible that White will have a connection to Christoph Waltz's Oberhauser (why a Nazi's name?). His henchmen previously were Le Chiffre, Dominic Greene and Vesper Lynd. I'm sure there could be some sort of power struggle or collaboration with Blofeld and SPECTRE.
There hasn't been confirmation Blofeld is in the film, but it's extremely possible he's working behind the scenes, setting him up for Bond25.

Wouldn't it be a laugh to find out that Mr. White has been Blofeld the entire time? The name White being an alias and referring to his iconic fluffy "white" cat. There's been speculation for years that White and his group were stand-ins for Blofeld and SPECTRE, as those rights couldn't be used until recently. The big reveal could be that White is Blofeld

SOURCE: EUROMAN 

BOND 24 Is Officially Titled SPECTRE And Cast Confirmed

Today, the folks behind the ever successful Bond franchise have finally made their official announcement concerning Bond 24. The title will be Spectre, which hints to the evil organization headed-up by Bond's greatest villain Blofeld. We actually haven't seen the group in decades, and this could be a great way to bring-back the tone of the classic films. Sam Mendes played with these concepts back in Skyfall, while finally giving us updated takes on the classic characters Moneypenny and Q. Like the last film, the name will actually be an important aspect to the film's plot.

The casting was also confirmed and it does look like a majority of it was on the money. Christoph Waltz, Lea Seydoux, Monica Bellucci, Dave Baustita and Sherlock's Andrew Scott were all confirmed as new cast members. While Daniel Craig, Ralph Fiennes, Naomi Harris, Ben Whishaw and Rory Kinnear were set to return as well.

Scott will be apart of MI6 as Agent Denbigh, while Waltz will be playing a character called Oberhauser and Bautista is playing an iconic henchman named Mr. Hinx. The ladies will be playing characters named Madeleine Swan (Seydoux) and Luciana Sciarra (Bellucci).

A quick google search of the name Oberhauser, and I get famous Nazi/SS officer war criminal Josef Oberhauser. Blofeld worked with the Nazis during WWII, could this be Sam Mendes just messing with us?

Locations for Spectre will include Pinewood London, Mexico City, Rome, Tangier, Erfond (Morocco) and Sölden (Austria).


They've included the first teaser poster for the film due out in November 6th, 2015. Someone has pointed out the bullet-hole in the poster is stylistic take on the old Spectre logo from the old Bond films. Along with promo image of the cast of Spectre.

                            
                            

SOURCE: 007

RUMOR: Italian Actress Monica Bellucci In The Mix For BOND 24

On Thursday, we'll finally have the official casting announcements concerning Sam Mendes' Bond 24. This hasn't stopped a couple more casting stories coming out of the woodwork before the final reveal. Deadline is reporting that Italian born actress Monica Bellucci (Tears of The Sun, Dracula, Matrix Reloaded, Matrix Revolutions, Brothers Grimm, Shoot 'Em Up, Dobermann, Brotherhood of The Wolf, Passion of The Christ) might have a role in the film.

Monica would be an age appropriate actress for both Daniel Craig and rumored actor Christoph Waltz (said to be playing villain). Similar to Waltz, Bellucci speaks multiple languages which includes Italian, French, English and Persian. The film has been confirmed to shoot in Rome, but oddly hasn't had any Italian actors linked for roles. Bellucci would be an excellent addition to the world of Bond, so here's hoping this turns out to be true.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

Official BOND 24 Title And Cast To Be Announced This Week

Production for Bond 24 will start on Monday, but before work on the 24th installment they will officially announce the cast and it's title. We'll find out on Thursday and this should confirm casting news in the last couple of weeks. The news will be streaming on the official 007 website and we'll of course report back on this. Apparently, Christoph Waltz and Lea Seydoux are locks for new leads, with Waltz rumored for the villain role. An even bigger rumor suggests he might be resurrecting the iconic Bond villain Blofeld. I'm sure we'll be hearing other roles in the film as well with the official press release.

SOURCE: MGM

Christoph Waltz Joins BOND 24 Will He Play A Villain?

TheWrap reports that two-time Oscar winning actor Christoph Waltz (Django Unchained, Inglourious Basterds) has landed a role in Sam Mendes' untitled Bond 24. His role is unknown but considering his iconic role as the Nazi Col. Hans Landa, it might be safe to assume he'll be playing the villain. This would sort of echo when Mendes cast Javier Bardem in role for Skyfall, after winning an Oscar himself for No Country For Old Men.

Production is expected to begin very soon with November 2015 release date set. The rest of the new additions includes Waltz's Basterds co-star Lea Seydoux and Guardians of The Galaxy breakout star Dave Bautista as the henchman.

A bit of speculation for the moment. We have been hearing rumors that producers are interested in bringing-back the iconic Blofeld back to the franchise. Now that they recently got the rights back to use the villain. There had even been chatter that he would make his return in next installment. When Ralph Fiennes was cast there was some notion he might have been playing him, before it was revealed he was apart of MI6. Could Waltz get away with playing Ernst Stavro Blofeld and bring back SPECTRE to the franchise?



SOURCE: THEWRAP

Dave Bautista Nabs Henchman Role In BOND 24

LatinoReview is reporting that Guardians of The Galaxy actor Dave Bautista has landed the henchman role in Sam Mendes' Bond 24. The role of Hinx is said to be similar to that of Jaws and Oddjob. An iconic role that could boost the actor's profile even more. There is chatter that he might be too busy with other projects, but I'm sure he would be willing to drop those for a Bond role of lifetime like this. The casting so far seems to be on-point, and can't wait to hear who they hire for the villain.


SOURCE: LATINOREVIEW

French Actress Léa Seydoux Confirmed For BOND 24

TheDailyMail is confirming previous reports that French actress Léa Seydoux (Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, Blue Is The Warmest Colour, Inglourious Basterds) has indeed landed a leading role in the untitled Bond 24. It's production is about to begin, and offices have already been opened in Italy. Director Sam Mendes has an excellent eye for talented actors, so we should expect more interesting actors added to the lineup soon. No word in this report if Seydoux will be playing friend or foe in the 24th installment.

Originally, Skyfall was going to have a female main antagonist (Rachel Weisz was rumored for the role) set around the backdrop of the heroin trafficking in Afghanistan. That was seemingly removed with rewrites, and another threat/villain was used instead. I'm curious if they'll retread back to this synopsis, considering the current Middle East conflicts would make it quite topical. Léa played an assassin/thief for hire in Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, so she could easily play another villain.

However, we've been hearing rumors for a while now that producers are asking for iconic Bond villain Blofeld to finally make an appearance. MGM recently got back the rights to use the character. Ernst Stavro Blofeld is the leader of the criminal organization known as S.P.E.C.T.R.E. and hasn't shown-up since 1983's Never Say Never Again. I'm sure we'll see Mendes use him before the end of his planned trilogy.

There is also talk via Variety that Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years A Slave, Children of Men) was being eyed for the nemesis role.

SOURCE: DAILYMAIL

If Offered, Idris Elba Would "Absolutely" Take The BOND Role!

Looks like British actor Idris Elba is confirming his desire to pick-up where Daniel Craig leaves-off, when Craig exits the Bond franchise after Bond 25. During his Reddit interview he answered a couple of questions, and the the subject of James Bond came-up. He mentions that he would "absolutely" take the role if offered. We've been hearing for ages that Elba is a fan favorite for the role, along with Michael Fassbender and others.

I'm sure producers are already considering what to do with Bond 26. As months (maybe even years) of planning would be needed to make sure it's a strong first entry into a new era. Bond 26 is years away from now, but with Elba being this vocal and his latest starring vehicle debuting #1 in North America, he seems like a strong contender for the role. We've come to expect the producers of the franchise to be progressive and think outside the box. Elba has all the charm needed for the role, not to mention lengthly action career filled with awards worthy performances along the way as well.

We know that Elba is desperately looking for the right franchise. Marvel met with him about Blade, Luke Cage and Black Panther. Elba confirmed in the Reddit posts, that Marvel has hired someone else for the Cage role. It's also unlikely with him possible return for Thor 3, that Marvel Studios would cast him other roles. There's still a bit of hope that Idris could land a role with the DCU, the roles are quickly getting gobbled-up by other actors.

SOURCE: REDDIT

Cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema Will Shoot BOND 24, Production Starts This December

There are only a handful of cinematographers, who's work you actually take notice of. One being Hoyte van Hoytema, who has been hired to lens Sam Mendes' sequel to Skyfall aka Bond 24 according to HitFlix. Some of the amazing work Hoyte has done includes, Let The Right One In, Tinker Tailor Solider Spy, Spike Jonze's Her, and Christopher Nolan's Interstellar.

To say that this next Bond film will look stunning is an understatement, congrats to Mendes on landing him. It's also been expected that production will begin in December, with a release date set for November 6th, 2015. Daniel Craig is set to return in the lead, which is said to be his second-last film as 007.







SOURCE: HITFIX

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

Chiwetel Ejiofor Wanted For Villain Role In BOND 24?

British actor Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years A Slave, Children of Men) is being linked to a bunch of major productions lately, being one of the many actors linked to Star Wars: Episode VII. The doesn't seem to be only huge franchises he's being eyed for, as TheWrap reports Bond producers are interested in him for the untitled Bond 24. Apparently, the role isn't a supporting one, as Chiwetel could play a Bond villain in the 24th installment. This wouldn't be new for the actor, as he's played villains in sci-fi films Children of Men and Joss Whedon's Serenity.

Jeff also mentions two major female roles that are being cast as well. One being a Scandinavian woman with a troubled past, who ends up a love-interest for Bond. A few names that come to mind include Swedish actresses MyAnna Buring (Kill List, Downton Abbey), Alicia Vikander (A Royal Affair, The Man From U.N.C.L.E.) and Noomi Rapace (Prometheus, Dragon Tattoo, The Drop, Sherlock Holmes 2). My bet is on Noomi, since her ex-husband Ola Rapace had a role in Skyfall and she would be a different kind of Bond girl.

Director Sam Mendes looked at a lot of unknown actresses, when casting Skyfall. I'd suggest an unknown like Danish actress Mia Jexen for the role as well.

We don't have many details on the project, but at one point Bond 23 was said to focus on the heroin-trade in Afghanistan. That plot was ultimately scrapped for Skyfall. Yet, it's possible they could weave the unused elements in the final two films in Sam Mendes' trilogy. The returning cast includes Daniel Craig, Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris and Ben Whishaw, with the release date set for November 2015 (October UK).

SOURCE: THEWRAP

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.

Sam Mendes Likely Directing A BOND Trilogy?

Showbiz411 is reporting that director Sam Mendes is confirmed to be making the follow up to Skyfall the untitled Bond 24 film. They mention that Sam will likely also make Bond 25, which is expected to be Daniel Craig's last film as 007. There was more rumblings of serious talks with Christopher Nolan taking over as well. Perhaps, we could see a Nolan reboot of 007 in Bond 26 after Mendes is done with the franchise. Sam and screenwriter John Logan are currently working out the story for the next film.

Sam Mendes Coming Back To Direct BOND 24?

This shouldn't come as a shock but TheDailyMail reports that Skyfall director Sam Mendes is quite possibly returning to make Bond 24. I say it's not surprising because earlier it was reported that Mendes was working with screenwriter John Logan on Bond 24's script. It was the first hint that Sam could be back in the director's chair.

Producers are likely giving the pair a creative atmosphere to make the follow up just as successful as Skyfall, if not bigger. Hence the other writers not being involved in the new film. The film has made $1.1 billion making it the biggest Bond film ever released and the second biggest film (edging out Dark Knight Rises) of 2012 just behind Avengers. Nothing is confirmed but if Sam officially signs on expect him to complete a Bond trilogy to finish off Daniel Craig's run as 007. Production is expected to take place sometime during the year with a November 2014 release date.

Jessica Chastain Wants To Get Her Hands Dirty And Play A Bond Villain

Jessica Chastain has quickly become both a critical and box office success in her short career. Her films Zero Dark Thirty and Mama have opened number one this month and is looking like she could pull-off a Best Actress Oscar this year. She's a workaholic grinding out a stagering amount of projects every year. According to a statement Jessica made to ThePlaylist she wants to "get her hands dirty" and play a Bond villain.

I'm sure Bond producers, Sony and MGM are foaming from the mouth with this comment. They tried very hard to cast Javier Bardem as the baddie in Skyfall mainly because of his impressive awards background and it paid-off handsomely in the end. Skyfall became the first Bond film to reach a billion, mainly due to the amount of time spent getting the cast pitch-perfect. Casting awards caliber actors for future installments will likely become important factor for the franchise moving forward into Bond 24.

Bond 24 of course is without a title but director Sam Mendes and screenwriter John Logan are already putting together ideas for the next installment. The film is set for November 2014 release date and Mendes hasn't confirmed or denied his return. It's possible Sam could come back to make a Bond trilogy, since he's been so fond of what Nolan did with Batman. Those films being a major influence on Skyfall's look and tone. A rumor surfaced last year that Benedict Cumberbatch (Star Trek Into Darkness, The Hobbit Trilogy, Sherlock) was being looked at as the next villain. Perhaps, an interesting way to go would be to have both Cumberbatch and Chastain as the baddies. It wouldn't hurt to have these two actors in one film either.

Tom Hooper Open To Talking With Producers For BOND 24?

Les Miserables might have critics split but it's making a mint which is hard for a musical these days. Director Tom Hooper (King's Speech) spoke with Collider who brought up if he'd be willing to direct the next Bond film. Hooper says it would be an "honor" to be considered for the job. Nothing says he's been contacted but it wouldn't be hard to imagine him end up a candidate.

"I would certainly be willing to talk about it; the ten year old in me would think there’s probably no higher honor than talking about that."

"I’d always take their phone call, they’re very lovely people."

After the extremely successful move to hire Oscar winning director Sam Mendes to helm Skyfall. I assume the Bond producers will be looking to hire another Oscar caliber director for future films like Hooper. Learning that a high quality visionary can deliver the goods and massive box office numbers. Skyfall is the highest grossing Bond film ever and could change the creative direction for future Bond films. The movie has earned $980 million and will likely finish it's run around a billion dollars. The 24th installment is currently being worked out by Sam Mendes and writer John Logan with Daniel Craig back as 007. Mendes hasn't committed to directing the next one but will likely play a role in it's script development and become a producer as well.

John Logan Will Also Write BOND 25, Could Shoot Alongside BOND 24

Deadline has another Bond update as Skyfall writer John Logan (Gladiator, Last Samurai) has also been tasked to write not only Bond 24 but it's sequel Bond 25 (Daniel Craig's last outing). Apparently the two films will be linked and could be shot back to back. It's the first time the franchise has moved so quickly on two sequels. It gives the impression producers are betting Skyfall will blow away audiences raking in more box office than usual.

Skyfall had it's development issues taking longer than usual to get the story right after the let down that was Quantum of Solace. It went through many script changes and different writers. There could be a few unused scripts laying around from that development that John Logan could rework and pull from.  Not to mention Logan's unused notes from writing Skyfall could also be put to use. If the two films are indeed shooting at the same time it would mean the director would need to commit to larger than usual production shoot. No word if Mendes is returning at this point as the franchise isn't known for keeping directors around for next installments.

BOND 24 Coming 2014 With John Logan Writing

Bond 24 is rolling forward with the DailyMail reporting that Skyfall screenwriter John Logan (Gladiator, Last Samurai, Noah) has been hired to write the next installment. However, franchise writers Neal Purvis and Robert Wade are absent this time around. They also state the film is being aimed for a November 2014 release date. Nothing is really known about this next film but there have been rumblings Benedict Cumberbatch (Hobbit, Sherlock, War Horse, Star Trek Into Darkness) could be looked at for the villain.

First Trailer For 'SKYFALL' Starring Daniel Craig

First Teaser Poster For New Bond Film 'SKYFALL'