We’ve finally been dished the dirt on the 25th James Bond film – which has the working title of Bond 25 – with movie bosses having confirmed the cast for the new installment… including a certain Rami Malek.
The news was streamed to the world this lunchtime from the film’s official launch, which was held at ‘one of 007’s most iconic locations’.
Teasing the location of the live reveal earlier today, the official James Bond Twitter account shared a view from a sunny beach, looking out to crystal-clear water and bright blue skies.
Yes, 007 fans… we’re in Jamaica, where all 13 of Ian Fleming’s original Bond novels were written. (Or rather, they are; most of us are sat at our desks looking out at our own sore reality of grey clouds and chewing gum-splattered pavements.)
Much like our titular hero himself, Bond films are often shrouded in mystery ahead of their often long-awaited release.
This means we’re left to speculate about all the finer details the franchise has become renowned for – the exotic settings, the cars, the hi-tech gadgets, the Bond girls…
With three long years since 2015’s Spectre to chat among ourselves about what Bond 25 might entail, we’ve often had to rely on hearsay from within the film industry.
Now, however, we’ve got some stone-cold facts.
As we already knew Daniel Craig would be on board for one last time (albeit perhaps slightly begrudgingly), arguably the biggest revelation is that Oscar winner Rami Malek will be joining the cast.
While he’s not been officially confirmed as the new Bond villain, at the film’s launch he said in a pre-recorded message from New York that he wouldn’t be letting Bond have an easy ride…
Speaking on Good Morning America immediately after the big reveal, Malek said: “It’s thrilling. It’s something so many generations have grown up with and you watch it with one of your parents, and then you just keep watching one right after the other. They’re timeless movies.
“This is such a perfect follow-up I think to Bohemian Rhapsody. You know, going from one iconic Brit to an iconic British franchise.”
Asked if he had taken inspiration from any ‘other Bond villains’, he added: “I’ve liked them all. I thought Javier Bardem did such a good job in Skyfall and Christoph Waltz – all of them have just been indelible.”
Ralph Fiennes, Rory Kinnear, Ben Whishaw, Naomie Harris and Léa Seydoux will be reprising their respective roles as M, Tanner, Q, Moneypenny and Dr Madeleine Swann, while new cast members also include Billy Magnussen, Ana De Armas, David Dencik and Lashana Lynch.
Bond 25 is being directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga – known for credits including HBO series True Detective and Netlix’s Maniac – who came on board last year after Danny Boyle left the project last year following ‘creative differences’.
He and producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli revealed that locations for the film will include Jamaica, Norway, London and Italy – with the action starting off in Bond’s Caribbean spiritual home.
“Bond is not on active service when we start the film, he is actually enjoying himself in Jamaica,” Broccoli revealed.
“He starts his journey here.”
It was also announced today that the new film has been written by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, Scott Z. Burns and Killing Eve genius Phoebe Waller-Bridge.
Of course, we’ve not been given a title yet – that’s coming much further down the line, apparently.
Bond 25 is set for release in April 2020.
