Mere days ago, we were treated to the wonderful (but not at all surprising, given his track record) news that Christoph Waltz was likely joining the 24th James Bond film (known only as Bond 24 because everyone finally agreed that it was ridiculous to try to come up with a title better than Octopussy) as a villain. Christoph Waltz, a bad guy? Surely, you je—don’t even remotely kid about this at all, because who else is more better suited to ham it up opposite Daniel Craig?
At the time, Waltz’s exact role was not disclosed, but now The Daily Mail (are your grains of salt ready?) claims that Waltz will not play just a James Bond villain, but the James Bond villain, reprising the iconic role of Ernst Stavro Blofeld. The bald, kitty-loving Blofled last appeared in a Bond film in 1983, when Max von Sydow played him in the “unofficial” Thunderball knockoff Never Say Never Again.
As the outlet reminds us, “the 58-year-old double Oscar-winner will join an elite band of stars who have previously played the role. Donald Pleasence starred as Bond’s nemesis in You Only Live Twice in 1967, followed by Kojak star Telly Savalas in 1969’s On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. The smooth-voiced British actor Charles Gray took the part in Diamonds Are Forever in 1971.” Blofeld also appeared in From Russia With Love and Thunderball, though his face was never shown, and the character had a brief bit in 1981’s For Your Eyes Only.
Moreover, The Daily Mail shares that, although Waltz’s casting in the Sam Mendes film will be made official during a press conference to be held next month (what are those Daily Mail staffers up to, time travel?), the announcement will be designed to throw fans and reporters off the scent of what’s really going on:
“Waltz’s involvement in the new film – which has the working title ‘Bond 24’ – will be confirmed at a press conference to be held in the first week of December. Eon productions, which owns the James Bond film franchise, will announce the star is playing an unknown character called Franz Oberhauser, son of the late Hans Oberhauser, a ski instructor who acted as a father figure to Bond. But senior sources believe the casting is a double bluff worthy of 007 himself and that Waltz is actually playing Blofeld. One Hollywood source, who asked not to be named, said: ‘Christoph Waltz is playing Blofeld in the next Bond film. The tone of the 007 films has changed significantly in recent years and the producers have changed the character to fit in with the new-look 007.’”
The son of a ski instructor? No wonder he is so mad.
Waltz would certainly be joining a legendary lineup, and though the part has definitely been done before, we’ve got little doubt that the actor could bring his own panache to the part. Now who is going to play his cat? We know Grumpy Cat is trying to get into the biz.