Despite the many controversies surrounding the film Bohemian Rhapsody, star Rami Malek is having a great time. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Freddie Mercury, which has also earned him plenty of other awards and acclaim. Now he’s reportedly up to play the villain in Bond 25.
According to Variety, which previously reported that Malek was once up for the part but unable to take it due to scheduling conflicts with Mr. Robot, things have apparently worked out:
As for the villain, sources indicate there is renewed interest in tapping recent Oscar winner Rami Malek, after it was initially thought that scheduling could not be worked out with his commitments on the final season of Mr. Robot. Insiders say while meetings with other talent have taken place, producers never wavered on trying to land the role for Malek and have worked hard for months to accommodate both shoots.
This doesn’t mean that Malek has actually accepted the role, of course, but it also sounds an awful lot like he will ultimately accept it. After all, it sounds like everyone involved has put a lot of work into making this happen. And considering the many bumps the Bond 25 production has hit in the past few years, it’s a welcome break for fans of James Bond.
Director Danny Boyle left the film in August over creative differences, which resulted in an intense search for a replacement. Beasts of No Nation and True Detective Season 1 helmer Cary Fukunaga scored the gig in September, and since then things have been running a lot more smoothly. All that’s left, per Variety, is to cast the film’s two female leads and a CIA operative character similar to Jeffrey Wright’s Felix Leiter. So far, Billy Magnussen — of Maniac, also helmed by Fukunaga — is a top choice for the latter part.
Production on Bond 25 is expected to finally begin in the spring.
(Via Variety)
