Back in 2006, Casino Royale revealed how James Bond became 007 and served as a reboot of sorts for the beloved franchise. Sam Mendes’ Skyfall however would mark a real turning point however as it was the first movie in the series (which kicked off way back in 1962) to reach $1 billion at the worldwide box office.
Mendes will return to direct Daniel Craig in the currently untitled James Bond 24, and after bringing back a variety of classic Bond-isms in Skyfall (including Q, Miss Moneypenny and a certain Aston Martin), it now appears as if he will be doing the same for the iconic and evil Bond baddie, Ernst Stavro Blofeld.
According to a new report, this is who Django Unchained star Christoph Waltz has been cast as in Bond 24, and the fearsome villain played a huge role in both Ian Fleming’s books, and movies like You Only Live Twice, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, and Diamonds Are Forever. Each of those featured different actors.
Known for his trademark white cat, Blofeld made his last appearance in 1981’s For Your Eyes Only.
The site goes on to reveal that the plan is to make all of this official in a press conference which will be held in the first week of December. The twist? They’ll announce that he’s playing an unknown character called Franz Oberhauser, son of the late Hans Oberhauser, a ski instructor who acted as a father figure to Bond.
Sources however indicate otherwise, and one of them is quoted as saying the following about his real role: “‘Christoph Waltz is playing Blofeld in the next Bond film. The tone of the 007 films has changed significantly in recent years and the producers have changed the character to fit in with the new-look 007.”
Bond 24 can apparently use the head of SPECTRE because the long running legal dispute between Eon Productions and the estate of the late Kevin McClory (a film producer who owns the right to the character).
Waltz playing a villain is nothing new, but seeing his take on this iconic Bond villain should be very interesting, especially as this version is said to be, “just as sinister as earlier incarnations but will be more sophisticated and less ‘campy’.” Are you looking forward to James Bond 24? Let us know below…
