The still-untitled James Bond 25 film has a finished script, a lead star in Daniel Craig and a director on board in Cary Fukunaga. But it has yet to sign on a villain who can go toe-to-toe with the iconic Agent 007.
According to Variety, Rami Malek, who wowed the critics for playing Freddie Mercury in the recent blockbuster "Bohemian Rhapsody," was being eyed to play the villain in the 25th Bond film. But the actor may likely turn down the role because the movie's filming dates abroad will coincide with the filming of the final season of Malek's TV show, "Mr. Robot."
To be clear, Bond producers have not yet offered the part to Malek. But the Emmy Award-winning actor won't likely be able to commit even if he's dangled a lucrative contract since "Mr. Robot" season 4 will be on the set from March to July of 2019.
Principal photography for the next James Bond flick, on the other hand, will take place in March 2019 as well. Producer Barbara Broccoli confirmed that delays in pre-production have set back the film, which was originally slated for a 2019 release.
Originally, director Danny Boyle was attached to helm the 25th movie, but Eon Productions announced his departure last August to creative differences, as per The Guardian. The film's release date was also pushed back to February 2020.
The 25th James Bond movie will be Craig's last work as Agent 007. Also confirmed to return to reprise their roles are Lea Seydoux (Madeline Swann), Ralph Fiennes (M), Ben Whishaw (Q) and Naomie Harris (Moneypenny).
Meanwhile, Malek is still on cloud nine after receiving his third Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor for his work on "Bohemian Rhapsody." Though the blockbuster movie received mixed reviews, most of the critics cited Malek for his outstanding performance as the Queen frontman.
Malek said that he was pretty upfront with the film producers about not knowing how to sing, dance or play the piano, unlike the talented and legendary Mercury. But he still won the coveted role and trained for it with movement and voice coaches. Because of his performance, there's a strong buzz that the actor may as well be a shoo-in for an Oscar nomination come January.
Meanwhile, Malek is eager to go back to work on the set of "Mr. Robot" season 4 with the writer, director, and creator Sam Esmail. USA Network confirmed in October that the upcoming season would wrap up the series.
