We already know that Daniel Craig will re-team with his Road to Perdition director Sam Mendes for the next entry into the James Bond series, unofficially going under Bond 23. After both rumors of Javier Bardem and Ralph Fiennes joining the cast, Baz Bamigboye of Daily Mail reports that they are locked into the cast.
Bardem’s role is rumored to be the villain, while Fiennes part is said to be “one of extreme complexity and only an actor of great ability and dexterity can take it on.” It has also been said the “revolutionary” project will feature an ensemble cast in “the first of a new generation of Bond films, and the ideas Mendes has push the film into darker territory where the characters are modern, mature and challenging.”
The outlet also confirms Naomie Harris‘ (28 Days Later, Miami Vice, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest) involvement, but it will not be in the form of a Bond girl. She is in “final negotiations” to play Moneypenny, who assists M at MI6. The character was last seen in 2002’s Die Another Day, but has since been in many past films, played by the likes of Caroline Bliss and Lois Maxwell.
These three additions to the cast are quite strong and already looking better than the disappointing Quantum of Solace. With The Dark Tower not shooting until next year, this gives Bardem time to get in on the action. As for Fiennes, his directorial debut Coriolanus will be released this fall and everyone in the world can see his final showdown in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 next week. Harris only has Bond on the horizon. Stay tuned for more casting updates if the ensemble aspect turns out to be true.
Bond 23 hits theaters on November 9th, 2012 with production starting later this year.
What do you think about this cast? Are you looking forward to Sam Mendes-directed Bond?