James Bond 25: Wonder Woman actor confirms he was cast by Danny Boyle for villain role

'I was cast by Danny Boyle, and just now he left the project, so of course there’s some uncertainty'

Saïd Taghmaoui has confirmed that he was cast by Danny Boyle as the main villain of the upcoming Bond film.

“I’m supposed to do the next James Bond, playing the lead bad guy,” the actor told The National. “I was cast by Danny Boyle, and just now he left the project, so of course there’s some uncertainty.”

Boyle pulled out of production last month over "creative differences" with the producers; it was later reported that the clash occurred between the Trainspotting filmmaker and the film's star Daniel Craig, who was understood to have a large say in casting.

The same reports stated the clash was over whether or not to cast Polish actor and Cold War star Tomasz Kot as the lead villain, not Taghmaoui.

As Taghmaoui explained: "We don’t know who the director will be, and the producers don’t know if they’re going to go Russian or Middle East with the baddie right now. I literally just received a message saying: ‘If they go Middle East, it’s you. If they go Russian, it’s someone else.’"

"It’s the story of my life. Always on that line between something that could change my life and something that disappears.”

The actor starred last year as Sameer in Warner Bros.' Wonder Woman, with roles in Three Kings, The Kite Runner, Hidalgo, and Lost. His breakout role was in 1995's highly-acclaimed French film La Haine.

Shooting for the film had been due to begin at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire during December and was planned for release in October 2019. A replacement for Boyle has not yet been announced.

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