194 replies to this topic

[Cody]

Javier Bardem offered Bond 23 role

Plus, Judi Dench confirms she'll be back as "M" for a seventh time

According to Deadline Hollywood

Deadline has just learned that Javier Bardem has been offered a starring role in the upcoming James Bond film recently set for a November 9, 2012, release.

Details about the character are being kept under wraps for now. But traditionally the biggest male role opposite 007 is the villain, and Bardem played a truly villainous villain in his Oscar-winning turn in No Country For Old Men two years ago.

The EON Productions offer by principals Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli to Bardem to join star Daniel Craig and director Sam Mendes was made last week, at around the same time that Bardem received his Best Actor nomination for Biutiful and another high-profile offer of a lead role, that of gunslinger Roland Deschain in the Ron Howard-directed trilogy based on Stephen King's novel series The Dark Tower. (Amidst all this career activity, Bardem and Penelope Cruz welcomed their first son into the world.) But it should be noted that Bardem was offered the high-profile villain role in Oliver Stone's Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps and turned it down.

[dinovelvet]

Craig and Bardem clashing? yeah!

[terminus]

How reliable is Deadline Hollywood? I know we get casting rumours all the time, but should this be taken as reliable or consigned to the unlikely pile?

[The Shark]

How reliable is Deadline Hollywood? I know we get casting rumours all the time, but should this be taken as reliable or consigned to the unlikely pile?

Deadline was the original source of the news about Cavill, which has just been confirmed at a press conference. I'd say they're pretty on the ball.

[dinovelvet]

How reliable is Deadline Hollywood? I know we get casting rumours all the time, but should this be taken as reliable or consigned to the unlikely pile?

They are considered to be *the* most reliable source of intel about this kind of thing. If deadline posts it, it's the real deal.

I really hope he accepts the role, this would be a major coup for EON, and the series' biggest 'star' villain since Walken.

[DamnCoffee]

Wow! This could prove very interesting! Javier Bardem really does remind me of some kind of a modern Jaws. Especially in No Country for Old Men!

[Matt_13]

Sweet Jesus...

Deadline knows their stuff, this is staggering. Hope he accepts it.

[Garth007]

I actually love this news. Bardem is the reason why i absolutely love No country for old mem.

[MkB]

Javier BArdem offered role? To me, this is the first exciting piece of news about B23... Yay!

[Elmason]

I normally don't pay too much attention to the rumours but I hope this is true, we need someone with a menacing presence who can threaten Daniel Craig - although I'm assuming he'd be a villain

[Matt_13]

This is really exciting. The producers seem to be really going for it this time. They want something special. The female lead will be intriguing.

[blueman]

Was just looking at the Butiful poster yesterday and thinking, he'd make a great Bond villain. Love it!

[Sir James Moloney]

I hope this is true and I really really hope he accepts it, Barden is a formidable actor. Now, if his wife wasn´t in Pirates...one could wish. If Barden does accept the role, I wonder if he´ll be playing a spanish villain, about time we had a Bond film set in Iberia again. So we could have Craig, Dench and Barden in a Sam Mendes Bond film...wouldn´t see that coming circa 2003;)

[Pierce - Daniel]

This is great news, I think that if Bardem is being offered a role this early it might be an indication that they hope to sign him up to star in other Bond sequels, as there is no way hes signing on for the merit of the script, as it hasnt even been written yet.
This is great I hope they dont waste him, they have a chance to do something really interesting with the baddie, maybe something more in the vein of Nolan's Joker? We can all dream.
Though, if such a big name as Bardem signs on, I hope the producers dont forget this is a BOND movie, and neglect the character to much. After all what made CR and QOS, CR more so, so interesting is that they focussed on the man himself. I really hope they don't waste Daniel Craig's acting talents while they still have him

[Simon]

Cracking!

Hope he accepts.

That said, I was excited when I heard Mathieu Amalric was cast in QoS, and then in the finished product he was introduced to the audience doing the accounts at a poxy desk. I understand Marc Forster wasn't too happy with the way he was introduced.

I concur.

I will say pretty much the same when an exciting leading lady is named for B23, as Olga's opening lines offered multiple degrees of flatness too.

[blueman]

Cracking!

Hope he accepts.

That said, I was excited when I heard Mathieu Amalric was cast in QoS, and then in the finished product he was introduced to the audience doing the accounts at a poxy desk. I understand Marc Forster wasn't too happy with the way he was introduced.

I concur.

I will say pretty much the same when an exciting leading lady is named for B23, as Olga's opening lines offered multiple degrees of flatness too.

Yet both Greene and Olga ended up as two of the more memorable characters in the franchise IMO. No complaints from me, very happy to see a Bond film so elevated by its main supporting cast members.

Bardem would be in line with Mads and Amalric IMO, excellent choice.

[terminus]

I'm guessing this means we can assume they've definitely got a finished (or largely finished) script then.

I'd thought that the movie wouldn't be due till November 2012 (both CR and QOS came out c. my anniversary with my partner so have been part of our anniversary celebrations twice) so guessed we wouldn't start hearing about casting for a while yet - this is certainly interesting if it's true, and given that you've said Deadline is a pretty accurate site, why wouldn't it be.

[The Shark]

That said, I was excited when I heard Mathieu Amalric was cast in QoS, and then in the finished product he was introduced to the audience doing the accounts at a poxy desk. I understand Marc Forster wasn't too happy with the way he was introduced.

Interesting. Do you have a link to that interview?

[RivenWinner]

This is awesome news. I hope Bardem accepts the role, and that the role itself is a good one.

Also good to hear news rolling on this project.

[Simon]

That said, I was excited when I heard Mathieu Amalric was cast in QoS, and then in the finished product he was introduced to the audience doing the accounts at a poxy desk. I understand Marc Forster wasn't too happy with the way he was introduced.

Interesting. Do you have a link to that interview?

A quick search offered this interview - on the basis of this I might have got my characters mixed up in the sense that he was not happy with Camille's introduction - and I would have concurred with that, while also offering dissatisfaction over the way Greene was introduced as well.

I only say this as I haven't found anything currently on Greene's introduction.

[Guy Haines]

As the article suggests, the principal major role after Bond is the arch adversary, and if the film makers are going after this actor then they are pulling out the stops. I'm surprised but, I suppose, I shouldn't be surprised. Bond 23 has to be a major comeback for the series, given the mess it will emerge from, and the level of box office competition. Therefore, an Oscar winner as villain makes sense. Assuming, of course, he accepts.

[dinovelvet]

I hope this is true and I really really hope he accepts it, Barden is a formidable actor. Now, if his wife wasn´t in Pirates...one could wish. If Barden does accept the role, I wonder if he´ll be playing a spanish villain, about time we had a Bond film set in Iberia again.

Perhaps the role is that of Paco 'Pistols' Scaramanga in a new adaptation of Fleming's TMWTGG

[blueman]

That said, I was excited when I heard Mathieu Amalric was cast in QoS, and then in the finished product he was introduced to the audience doing the accounts at a poxy desk. I understand Marc Forster wasn't too happy with the way he was introduced.

Interesting. Do you have a link to that interview?

A quick search offered this interview - on the basis of this I might have got my characters mixed up in the sense that he was not happy with Camille's introduction - and I would have concurred with that, while also offering dissatisfaction over the way Greene was introduced as well.

I only say this as I haven't found anything currently on Greene's introduction.

I quite liked Camille's first scene, made me think of the line from YOLT, Bond will get into any car with any woman. Also liked how they referenced it again later in the film in a very different context, nice touch I thought.

Wait, that's the interview where Forster says he wasn't happy with the color of the car! Nice stretch there, S.

[dinovelvet]

This is great news, I think that if Bardem is being offered a role this early it might be an indication that they hope to sign him up to star in other Bond sequels, as there is no way hes signing on for the merit of the script, as it hasnt even been written yet.

I'm not sure how you can come to that conclusion.

This is great I hope they dont waste him, they have a chance to do something really interesting with the baddie, maybe something more in the vein of Nolan's Joker? We can all dream.
Though, if such a big name as Bardem signs on, I hope the producers dont forget this is a BOND movie, and neglect the character to much. After all what made CR and QOS, CR more so, so interesting is that they focussed on the man himself. I really hope they don't waste Daniel Craig's acting talents while they still have him

Christophers Lee and Walken were big name stars but they didn't overshadow the role of Bond. In fact they were two of the best villains of the series!

Come on The Sun, News of the world etc, this story has been out for two hours and we haven't even had the requisite Bardem-pasted-onto-Blofeld's-body photoshop hackjob yet!

[Chief of SIS]

Good! Well, hopefully good but still. Craig could finally gets a Bond villain that has a little physicality to him. Will hopefully make it a little more exciting for a Craig era duke out. If he is in, they better use him right.

Edited by Chief of SIS, 31 January 2011 - 01:25 AM.

[Matt_13]

This is some pretty serious casting news. The talent line up for this film is already phenomenal. The thing to keep in mind is this: Camera's will be rolling by the end of this year. From this point on, I think we can start taking casting rumors (ESPECIALLY from Deadline) a bit more seriously. The script must be close to completion. All that's left is probably location scouting and casting. We'll likely have a title and a few pictures by this time next year (man...that's a long ways away isn't it?). Exciting stuff though.

[booyeah_]

I have a big smile on my face as I think Mr. Bardem is a very talented, intelligent actor. The big question is will he accept? He has declined other big name sequels like Wall Street 2, but maybe the opportunity to work with Mendes, the script and the series(is he a James Bond fan?) will make him agree? I suppose it is just a flip of a coin. This is very exciting, I hope he joins the cast.

Edited by booyeah_, 31 January 2011 - 01:54 AM.

[Stuart]

I can't believe that no one has done this:

"Mr. Bond, what's the most you ever lost on a coin toss?"

I hope this is true.

[booyeah_]

I can't believe that no one has done this:

"Mr. Bond, what's the most you ever lost on a coin toss?"

I hope this is true.

I hope our little coin toss isn't causing you to perspire.

[Quantumofsolace007]

Amazing awesome news. the first new rumor of the year and a great one at that. I love no country for old men I hope Javier Bardem accepts the offer.