Rami Malek in talks for next Bond film's villain

Fresh off of taking home the Best Actor award at the 91st Academy Awards for Bohemian Rhapsody, it seems that Rami Malek's next big project could find him facing off against Daniel Craig in his fifth and final James Bond film.

This is something which has previously been hinted at as it was reported that Malek was being eyed for the villain role in BOND 25 last year, but it was thought that the shooting schedule for the final season of Mr Robot would be an obstacle.

PHOTO: 91st Academy Awards - Oscars Show - Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, U.S., February 24, 2019. Rami Malek holds his Oscar after accepting the Best Actor award for his role in "Bohemian Rhapsody". REUTERS/Mike Blake

In a new report from Variety, it seems that the makers are still quite keen to have the actor onboard and have apparently been working hard for months in order to accommodate shoots for both Bond 25 and Mr Robot.

Variety's insiders say that meetings with other actors for the role have taken place, but it's clear that Malek is the favourite, especially after his recent Oscar win.

PHOTO: AFP

Collider took the news one step further, claiming that he is actually in "final negotiations" for the role, but admit that the deal is not yet done. We'll have to wait and see but Malek would certainly make for a great addition to the Bond franchise.

In other Bond 25 casting news, Variety also says that Billy Magnussen (Maniac) is the top choice to play an American CIA operative (similar to Jeffrey Wright's Felix Leiter) who crosses paths with Bond.

Bond 25 is expected to kick off this spring under the direction of Cary Fukunaga (True Detective), and, in addition to Craig, it's expected that Lea Seydoux, Ralph Fiennes, and Naomie Harris will be back as well. The film, which is reportedly going by the working title of Shatterhand, will hit theaters on April 8, 2020.

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