'Bond 25' Cast News: Christoph Waltz Not Joining Daniel Craig, Hints New Villain
James Bond movie villain Christoph Waltz will not be in the 25th offering. The actor confirmed his absence from the Daniel Craig starrer and hinted there's a new guy taking his place.
Waltz spoke to reporters at the Festa del Cinema di Roma about the possibility of his return for "Bond 25." The actor played the villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld in the last James Bond flick, "Spectre," which came out in theaters 2015.
"No," Waltz firmly said about playing Blofeld again. "I'm really sad, but that's the tradition, that there is a new...name," he reiterated, adding he would have wanted to reprise his role but it's not possible anymore.
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The character of Blofeld, however, might still be back in the 25th film but a new actor will be playing him. Fans of the Bond movies have seen Blofeld, one of the franchise's most popular villains, played by different actors over decades. The character appeared in at least seven Bond films.
Meanwhile, Craig agreed to play Agent 007 a fifth time for "Bond 25" over the summer. He almost did not take on the next movie following earlier indications that he wanted to give playing James Bond a rest. Craig, however, clarified that at that time he said he wanted to retire, he was in the midst of working on another film and had been physically exhausted during the interview.
"Bond 25" is rumored to be renamed as "Shatterhand" and will mostly be shot in Croatia. In contention to direct the film are Denis Villenueve, Yann Demange or David Mackenzie, while Craig allegedly wants Monica Bellucci back as his co-star.
The studio has yet to announce who will direct "Bond 25." With production set to begin in early 2018, casting announcements and other details about the milestone movie should be in the press soon as well. What has been confirmed, however, is that "Bond 25" will be out in theaters on November 2019.
