It’s been claimed that bosses were keen to court Lupita Nyong’o for the upcoming film, but now it seems she won’t be involved. Reps for the star have told US industry publication Deadline that her team have said “it won’t work out”. The Oscar-winner has already made waves in the Marvel and Star Wars universes, and will be lighting up the screen in massively anticipated horror Us later this spring. But it seems we won’t be seeing her alongside James Bond any time soon.
So without Nyong’o, if reports on casting requirements are correct then bosses have two major female roles to fill.
It had previously been claimed in an Italian paper that Dakota Johnson and Emma Stone were in contention, but this has since been played down.
One person who is believed to be very close to signing up is Bohemian Rhapsody favourite Rami Malek.
Fresh from his win for Best Actor at the Oscars at the weekend, Malek is claimed by Deadline to be “closing his deal to play the villain”.
A Twitter user has recently claimed to have asked Ben Whishaw at London’s V&A Museum about it – with him saying Bond 25 launches production on April 5.
The working title is believed to be Shatterhand, although whether or not this hints at a return for a certain supervillain remains to be seen.
The film will likely be Craig’s last as 007: he has already played him in Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, Skyfall and Spectre.
Bond 25 is out on April 8, 2020.