It was either this or a picture of him holding his Oscar. I believe we made the right choice.
Last month we reported Benicio Del Toro was offered a lead villain role in Star Trek 2. Then a rumor started going around that he was negotiating for the role of Khan Noonien Singh, a character who really, really doesn’t need a reboot. Then J.J. Abrams told HitFix that rumors Del Toro would play Khan are “not true“. Now we know that’s at least partially honest, as Vulture reports the negotiations with Del Toro broke down over “monetary issues”, meaning Paramount didn’t bring enough wheelbarrows for the requisite amount of cash. Oscar winners cost money, guys. Pony up the cash and fill a bathtub with grapefruits and water so we know you’re serious.
This leaves them looking for a replacement for the film which starts shooting next month. Oh, and here’s the even worse news: a source tells Vulture that Khan is the film’s villain, so while it’s “not true” that Del Toro would play Khan, somebody else might.