Christoph Waltz is set to return as uber-villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld in “Bond 25,” an individual with knowledge of the project told TheWrap.
Waltz first portrayed the iconic Bond archenemy in 2015’s “Spectre.” Donald Pleasence, Max von Sydow and Telly Savalas have all played the character in previous “Bond” installments.
The 25th James Bond film, still untitled, stars Daniel Craig for his fifth (and final) entry in the Bond franchise. Cary Joji Fukunaga is directing the film that stars Oscar winner Rami Malek as the film’s villain, as well as Dali Benssalah, Billy Magnussen, Ana de Armas, Lashana Lynch and David Dencik all joining the cast.
Other franchise veterans returning for this film include Ralph Fiennes as MI6 head M, Ben Whishaw as the organization’s quartermaster Q, Naomie Harris as Bond’s assistant Moneypenny, Lea Seydoux as his former flame Dr. Madeleine Swann, Rory Kinnear as MI6 chief of staff Bill Tanner and Jeffrey Wright as Bond’s CIA counterpart Felix Leiter.
According to 007.com, the premise of “Bond 25” is as follows: “Bond has left active service and is enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica. His peace is short-lived when his old friend Felix Leiter from the CIA turns up asking for help. The mission to rescue a kidnapped scientist turns out to be far more treacherous than expected, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology.”
Craig first took the role of James Bond in 2006 for “Casino Royale,” and he last appeared in “Spectre” in 2015.
In 2017, Craig revealed on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” that his fifth outing as James Bond would be his last. He is the seventh actor to play James Bond on screen, following Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan.
Waltz’s recent credits include Fox’s “Alita: Battle Angel” and “Georgetown.” Waltz is repped by ICM Partners.
The Daily Mail first reported the news about Waltz’s casting.
“Bond 25” will hit theaters on April 8, 2020.