Should the movie really takes place in Middle East, the actor has made it clear that he won't be involved in the next installment of the franchise.
- Sep 12, 2018
AceShowbiz - "Wonder Woman" actor Said Taghmaoui has dismissed reports suggesting he is in line to portray the new James Bond villain.
The French-born star of Moroccan ancestry appeared to reveal he had been cast as the main baddie during a recent interview with The National newspaper in the United Arab Emirates, indicating he had been recruited by director Danny Boyle to feature opposite Daniel Craig as the suave superspy.
However, he claimed movie producers had contacted him following Boyle's shock exit last month and warned Said his proposed character may be written out of the revamped storyline.
"We don't know who the (new) director will be, and the producers don't know if they're going to go Russian or Middle East with the baddie right now," he is quoted in the article. "I literally just received a message saying: 'If they go Middle East, it's you. If they go Russian, it's someone else.'"
His comments began to gain traction online on Tuesday, September 11, but now Said has confused fans by declaring the news of his Bond casting is not true.
He posted a screenshot of a French news article questioning if he will play the villain in "Bond 25", and made it clear he wasn't involved.
"Fake news..!" he told followers, adding in French, "It's always better to come and check the source..!"
Longtime Bond producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli have not commented on the conflicting casting news.
They parted ways with Boyle in late August, with the "Slumdog Millionaire" filmmaker citing creative differences for the decision.
Boyle would have been the successor to Sam Mendes, who directed the last two Bond films, "Skyfall" and "Spectre".
Production on "Bond 25" had been due to begin in December, ahead of a November, 2019 release date, but it's not yet known if the schedule will remain the same as a replacement for Boyle has yet to be announced.
