The latest Bond 25 rumor indicates Helena Bonham Carter is the top choice for the film’s villain role. After spending years in development, the next installment of the iconic spy franchise is gearing up to start production by the end of this year. Daniel Craig returns for a final outing as 007 (hoping to end his tenure on a high note), this time under the watch of Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle. Bond 25 is set to be released in November 2019.
With Craig and a creative team in place, one of the more pressing matters for the movie at this point in time is to iron out a supporting cast. It’s expected Craig’s MI6 allies (Ben Wishshaw’s Q, Naomi Harris’ Moneypenny, and Ralph Fiennes’ M) will carry over from their previous outings, but there will surely be new characters along for the ride. No Bond film is complete without a foe to oppose the hero, and we may now know who the producers are targeting for the part.
According to Mirror, Helena Bonham Carter is who producers are eyeing for the antagonist. The outlet’s source mentioned Angelina Jolie is thought by many to be the favorite, but Carter is the filmmakers’ pick. It is worth mentioning, however, that this is strictly a rumor for the time being and should be taken with a healthy grain of salt. Carter (or anyone outside of Craig, for that matter) has yet to be confirmed.
Should this come to pass, Carter would prove to be a fascinating pick. Over the course of her career, she’s demonstrated quite a range with her various characters, picking up two Oscar nominations (for The King’s Speech and The Wings of the Dove) along the way. Carter is no stranger to villain roles, as she famously brought life to the wicked Bellatrix Lestrange in the Harry Potter films. Bond villains can be quite theatrical and over-the-top (as Bellatrix was) at times, so Carter could certainly relish in chewing up scenery as she torments 007. Of course, she’s also more than capable of portraying a nuanced and subtle threat, so whatever the script calls for, Carter would be able to handle the role with her tremendous talent.
As of this writing, there are still six months until Bond 25 starts shooting, so the producers have some time to conduct a thorough search and find the right person for the villain role. The Craig era has been relatively hit or miss when it comes to antagonists; Le Chiffre and Silva arguably rank among the franchise’s best, while Dominic Greene and (most frustratingly) Blofeld were largely forgettable. Perhaps not so coincidentally, Casino Royale and Skyfall are the two most critically-acclaimed Bond pictures of the last several years, so there’s a lot of pressure on Boyle to deliver a compelling antagonist. Hopefully Carter (or whoever gets it) has a great role to sink their teeth into.
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Source: Mirror
- Bond 25 Release Date: 2021-10-08
