Bond 25 producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, along with director Cary Joji Fukunaga, have just announced a generous array of details on Daniel Craig’s final outing as 007, including the core line-up of next year’s release.
We’d previously heard reports that Bohemian Rhapsody star Rami Malek was in final talks to play the main villain, and sure enough, the Bond 25 team has confirmed via livestream from Jamaica that the Oscar-winner has joined the cast. Though the actor himself wasn’t on the stream, he did record a quick message from New York, in which he offered the following tease:
“I promise you all I will be making sure Mr. Bond does not have an easy ride of it in this, his 25th outing.”
Meanwhile, Lea Seydoux will be reprising her role as Dr. Madelaine Swann from Spectre, and we can also expect to see the return of Ben Whishaw as Q, Ralph Fiennes as M, Naomie Harris as Miss Moneypenny, Jeffrey Wright as Felix Leiter and Rory Kinnear as Bill Tanner. Malek aside, the list of newcomers includes Ana de Armas (Blade Runner 2049), Billy Magnussen (Game Night), Dali Benssalah, Lashana Lynch (Captain Marvel) and David Dencik (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy).
As for the plot, THR reports that the film sees Bond enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica, having left the spy world behind. His quiet retirement is interrupted, however, when Felix Leiter from the CIA approaches him with a mission to rescue a kidnapped scientist. As is usually the case, the assignment turns out to be more dangerous than expected, leading our hero onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology.
As for the official title, it seems we’ll have to wait a little longer for that particular reveal, with Wilson declaring it “a tradition” to keep this detail a secret. Regardless, we’ll find out if Fukunaga, Malek and the rest of the team can send Craig off with a bang when Bond 25 hits theaters on April 8th, 2020.
