When it comes to literary villains, Professor Moriarty has always been one of the most formidable opponents to ever have graced the page or the screen. His keen intellect is only matched by his psychotic mindset, and in countless instances he's made life a living hell for his arch-nemesis, Sherlock Holmes. Imagine how awesome it would be if he teamed up with the like minded Blofeld, the bane to the existence of famed super agent James Bond? If this new report is anywhere near close to being true, the producers of Bond 24 have had the same thought, and it's influenced their casting in a big way.
The Mirror has revealed that they've heard rumblings of Andrew Scott, the man who played a brilliant version of Moriarty for the BBC's Sherlock series, being cast as a villain in director Sam Mendes' upcoming Bond 24 alongside heavily tipped baddie extraordinaire, Christoph Waltz. The Mirror also includes Dave Bautista on the list of cast members, further stoking the rumors that he would be playing the evil muscle of the piece.
We won't have to wait too long to see whether this scoop is correct or not, as tomorrow morning is the traditional press conference that unveils all of the key details for Bond 24's production. The film's title, the film's cast and characters, and all of the bedrock details will be revealed tomorrow morning with the announcement of the start of filming - so there's a possibility that these details are being leaked from a well-placed source. Either that, or The Mirror wants a quick circulation boost before they have to report the actual event itself. Whichever scenario is true, we'll be finding out the truth soon enough.
As for the possibility of casting Andrew Scott as a villain in Bond 24, it's a good get if the story is actually true. His version of Moriarty on Sherlock updated the iconic character, and at the same time injected an extreme menace into the role, playing opposite Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman. It should be noted that there was a point when Chiwetel Ejiofor was being rumored for the baddie part in Bond 24, and this role could be the vacancy that Scott is filling in the new film's cast.
Speaking of casting rumors surrounding the development of Bond 24's crew of bad guys, it's been reported that Dave Bautista looks to be the Jaws of the outfit and there has been a good amount of rumor saying that Christoph Waltz could be the mastermind behind whatever plot is coming to bear in the movie (playing Blofeld or a Blofeld like character). This leaves Andrew Scott as the prospective central villain strictly in the confines of Bond 24, much like Dr. No or Auric Goldfinger. Considering Javier Bardem's gleefully menacing villain, Silva, was the central antagonist in 2012's Skyfall, this could be a great piece of casting news that continues a pre-existing pattern.
The world will learn the truth tomorrow morning at 6 AM EST, during a live stream on the official 007 website. Check back here tomorrow for the official details as we get them. Bond 24 is set for a November 6, 2015 release in the United States; with an October 23, 2015 release date in the UK.
