Michael Sheen, villain for Bond 23

Lady RoseLady Rose London,UKPosts: 2,667MI6 Agent
and you'll never guess who he going to be ..... :o


http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2009/jun/16/michael-sheen-bond-blofeld


Michael Sheen might be Bond baddie Blofeld


'The Damned United actor is reported to be in negotiations to play the criminal mastermind in the 23rd official 007 picture, being co-scripted by Peter Morgan

Michael Sheen has the sharp suit, but he'll need the gun, the Persian and maybe some age makeup to play Blofeld like Charles Gray in Diamonds Are Forever.


He was last seen being tipped out of a helicopter into the gaping mouth of an industrial chimney. Now, 28 years after his last official appearance in For Your Eyes Only, James Bond's deadliest foe could be set for a return – in the fresh-faced form of actor Michael Sheen.

Sheen, 40, is reported to be in negotiations to play Ernst Stavro Blofeld in the 23rd official Bond picture, set for release in 2011. The script is being co-written by Peter Morgan, Sheen's long-time collaborator, who has already worked with him on the likes of The Queen, Frost/Nixon and The Damned United.

"Michael is hot property right now and it is felt that he's the right man to bring Blofeld back to life," an unnamed source told the Daily Express newspaper. "Michael was a Bond fan in his youth, so this would be a dream role for him."

The sinister chieftain of the global criminal organisation Spectre, Blofeld has appeared in six James Bond outings and has been interpreted by a variety of actors, including Donald Pleasence, Telly Savalas and Charles Gray. In popular imagination, he sports a scarred face and a shaved head and is never seen without his beloved white Persian cat.

Over recent decades, however, Blofeld has proved a more fitful and elusive presence. He was briefly resurrected by the Swedish actor Max von Sydow in 1983's unofficial Bond adventure Never Say Never Again and provided the inspiration for Dr Evil, the cackling, accident-prone baddie from the Austin Powers comedies. The real Blofeld, one suspects, would not have been amused. '

Comments

  • Barry NelsonBarry Nelson ChicagoPosts: 1,508MI6 Agent
    Thanks for posting LR, I would like to see a return of Blofeld, although that would confuse the current storyline. Would Blofeld be the head of Quantom or SPECTRE, would Mr White be Number 2, is Quantom an arm of SPECTRE? Then again, none of this may be true.
  • Napoleon PluralNapoleon Plural LondonPosts: 10,270MI6 Agent
    Ah, c'mon, nobody believes this. :))
    "This is where we leave you Mr Bond."

    Roger Moore 1927-2017
  • HardyboyHardyboy Posts: 5,882Chief of Staff
    I'll take this with a big grain of salt. I wonder if someone isn't engaged in wild speculation, since Sheen's "longtime collaborator" is on board as a writer. Let the silly season begin!
    Vox clamantis in deserto
  • LoeffelholzLoeffelholz The United States, With LovePosts: 8,988Quartermasters
    edited June 2009
    Not that the British press have ever been less than rock-solid, 'take-it-to-the-bank-and-cash-it' reliable when speculating on future Bond projects...but I'd put much more faith in rumours like this if they appeared somewhere more credible---like a Ouija board...a Magic 8-Ball...or the patterns found when a South American shaman randomly tosses a handful of chicken bones.
    Check out my Amazon author page! Mark Loeffelholz
    "I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
    "Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM
  • Sir MilesSir Miles The Wrong Side Of The WardrobePosts: 26,516Chief of Staff
    Hardyboy wrote:
    I'll take this with a big grain of salt. I wonder if someone isn't engaged in wild speculation, since Sheen's "longtime collaborator" is on board as a writer. Let the silly season begin!

    Yep - another case of two plus two makes five !


    Sheen is a great actor - I didn't quite 'believe' him in Underworld: Rise Of The Lycans though.

    I'll be prepared to eat my hat, but this is a definate non-starter.
    YNWA 97
  • bluemanblueman PDXPosts: 1,667MI6 Agent
    Blofeld back would be cool, that's the part that's really tantalizing.
  • Mr MartiniMr Martini That nice house in the sky.Posts: 2,699MI6 Agent
    Thanks for posting LR, I would like to see a return of Blofeld, although that would confuse the current storyline. Would Blofeld be the head of Quantom or SPECTRE, would Mr White be Number 2, is Quantom an arm of SPECTRE? Then again, none of this may be true.


    My guess would be the head of Quantom. Since the current Bond movies are a different time line from the Connery-Brosnan era.

    If this is true I hope the look of Blofeld is changed. Too many people might see Blofeld and think the Bond writers are trying to copy the Austin Powers movies. I hate to say it, but I'm not sure how many people actually know that Dr. Evil is a some-what carbon copy of the original Blofeld.
    Some people would complain even if you hang them with a new rope
  • PPK 7.65mmPPK 7.65mm Saratoga Springs NY USAPosts: 1,229MI6 Agent
    I read over at the fansite MI6 that Kevin Spacey is also interested in playing a baddie. I remember when he was rumored to playing the bad guy in Die Another Day. Still if this is true Eon/MGM is looking in the right direction. He is quite a good actor and as his career so far has shown he is able to play just about any part under the sun.
  • Gassy ManGassy Man USAPosts: 2,972MI6 Agent
    But remember, he sucked as Lex Luthor in that horrible Superman sequel a few years ago.
  • Napoleon PluralNapoleon Plural LondonPosts: 10,270MI6 Agent
    I don't like the idea, it smacks of slumming it for Spacey. It also sounds like when A Hopkins said he's love to be a villain, but these guys prob don't really mean it, it's just a laugh. I mean, I imagine he'd just be that kind of camp, villainous Luther type - anyway, nearest he'd get would be as Dr Evil in the third Austin Powers film!
    "This is where we leave you Mr Bond."

    Roger Moore 1927-2017
  • Number24Number24 NorwayPosts: 21,765MI6 Agent
    Blofeld and SPECTRE are completely out of the question, thank God. They did their job back in the day, but that's it!
    Michael Sheen is a good actor, perhaps he will play (a) leader of Quantum?
  • Dan SameDan Same Victoria, AustraliaPosts: 6,054MI6 Agent
    Gassy Man wrote:
    But remember, he sucked as Lex Luthor in that horrible Superman sequel a few years ago.
    Indeed. :# I love Spacey, but I hated him in SR. He was IMO the major reason that film sucked as he was just so incredibly boring that I question whether he was really interested in playing Luthor at all.

    Spacey is a predictable choice. I would hope that the producers attempt to be a little more unpredictable and creative, especially since as good an actor as he is, Spacey is no certainty to produce a memorable villain.
    "He’s a man way out there in the blue, riding on a smile and a shoeshine. And when they start not smiling back—that’s an earthquake. and then you get yourself a couple of spots on your hat, and you’re finished. Nobody dast blame this man. A salesman is got to dream, boy. It comes with the territory." Death of a Salesman
  • PPK 7.65mmPPK 7.65mm Saratoga Springs NY USAPosts: 1,229MI6 Agent
    Personally I think it was the script for Superman Returns fault and Kevin Spacey for making Lex Luther turn out so poorly.
    Speaking of villains I hope that we get a better henchman this time around. The last three films failed to deliver in this department if you ask me. What is needed is a henchman like Oddjob or Red Grant who not only looks tough, but actually get their hands dirty for the main bad guy.
  • JimmyBond0129JimmyBond0129 United States Posts: 263MI6 Agent
    edited June 2009
    Number24 wrote:
    Blofeld and SPECTRE are completely out of the question.

    I don't see why Michael Sheen can't be Blofeld, I know Ernst Blofeld appeared in the old Bond franchise but The Joker appeared in the old Batman franchise (1989-1997) too and Warner Bros still brought him back. Why can't MGM do the same with Blofeld?
    "I admire your courage, Miss?..." "Trench, Sylvia Trench."

    "I admire your luck, Mister?..." "Bond, James Bond."
  • Thunderbird 2Thunderbird 2 East of Cardiff, Wales.Posts: 2,777MI6 Agent
    I don't believe this story for a second.

    If Quantum is a new take on Spectre, then the new leading characters would have to be updated accordingly as well. In fact Jesper Christensen's potrayal of Mr White would work nicely in that respect. His somewhat mad interogation scene, and the Opera in QofS implies there is no central big cheese in Quantum, which is a novel idea. - Removing the predictable "chop of the snakes head and the body will die" scenario, making it much more dangerous as an intellegence enemy.

    Re Mr Sheen and Mr Spacey, they have both been great in different roles, they are talented actors. But I find that Bond usually shines better when more international and less well known actors are selected for key roles. Though I could actually see Mr Sheen either playing the new Minsiter of Defence, or perhaps even a new take on Q!

    As for Blofeld? A dated steriotypical villian that Austin P lampooned beautifully. The character worked in the hands of very different actors such as Donald Plasence, Telly Savallas and Max Von Sydow, but in the context of the films we saw them in. Any re-use now would just bring Dr Evil to mind. - I like to think the Bond producers know that and will avoid it.

    - Bond needs to move forward not back, something Casino Royale proved in spectacular fashion.
    This is Thunderbird 2, how can I be of assistance?
  • bluemanblueman PDXPosts: 1,667MI6 Agent
    I don't believe this story for a second.

    If Quantum is a new take on Spectre, then the new leading characters would have to be updated accordingly as well. In fact Jesper Christensen's potrayal of Mr White would work nicely in that respect. His somewhat mad interogation scene, and the Opera in QofS implies there is no central big cheese in Quantum, which is a novel idea. - Removing the predictable "chop of the snakes head and the body will die" scenario, making it much more dangerous as an intellegence enemy.

    Re Mr Sheen and Mr Spacey, they have both been great in different roles, they are talented actors. But I find that Bond usually shines better when more international and less well known actors are selected for key roles. Though I could actually see Mr Sheen either playing the new Minsiter of Defence, or perhaps even a new take on Q!

    As for Blofeld? A dated steriotypical villian that Austin P lampooned beautifully. The character worked in the hands of very different actors such as Donald Plasence, Telly Savallas and Max Von Sydow, but in the context of the films we saw them in. Any re-use now would just bring Dr Evil to mind. - I like to think the Bond producers know that and will avoid it.

    - Bond needs to move forward not back, something Casino Royale proved in spectacular fashion.
    Exactly - so why can't EON reboot Blofeld as successfully as they rebooted Bond with Craig? Just cuz Austin Powers lampooned a Fleming character doesn't mean EON can't go there, right? Right?? ;)
  • JimmyBond0129JimmyBond0129 United States Posts: 263MI6 Agent
    blueman wrote:
    Why can't EON reboot Blofeld as successfully as they rebooted Bond with Craig? Just cuz Austin Powers lampooned a Fleming character doesn't mean EON can't go there, right? Right?? ;)

    I just said in my previous post, if Warner Bros can reboot The Joker then why can't MGM reboot Blofeld too?
    "I admire your courage, Miss?..." "Trench, Sylvia Trench."

    "I admire your luck, Mister?..." "Bond, James Bond."
  • bluemanblueman PDXPosts: 1,667MI6 Agent
    blueman wrote:
    Why can't EON reboot Blofeld as successfully as they rebooted Bond with Craig? Just cuz Austin Powers lampooned a Fleming character doesn't mean EON can't go there, right? Right?? ;)

    I just said in my previous post, if Warner Bros can reboot The Joker then why can't MGM reboot Blofeld too?
    And I agree with you. TBird 2 doesn't, and I was responding to him. :007)
  • JimmyBond0129JimmyBond0129 United States Posts: 263MI6 Agent
    blueman wrote:
    And I agree with you. TBird 2 doesn't, and I was responding to him. :007)

    I know I was just trying to get someone to notice me, I felt like I was talking to a wall.
    "I admire your courage, Miss?..." "Trench, Sylvia Trench."

    "I admire your luck, Mister?..." "Bond, James Bond."
  • Gassy ManGassy Man USAPosts: 2,972MI6 Agent
    Dan Same wrote:
    Gassy Man wrote:
    But remember, he sucked as Lex Luthor in that horrible Superman sequel a few years ago.
    Indeed. :# I love Spacey, but I hated him in SR. He was IMO the major reason that film sucked as he was just so incredibly boring that I question whether he was really interested in playing Luthor at all.

    Spacey is a predictable choice. I would hope that the producers attempt to be a little more unpredictable and creative, especially since as good an actor as he is, Spacey is no certainty to produce a memorable villain.
    He was great on a TV show called Wiseguy, among other things. Oddly, I thought initially he would make an inspired choice to follow Gene Hackman as L. L.
  • Dan SameDan Same Victoria, AustraliaPosts: 6,054MI6 Agent
    Gassy Man wrote:
    He was great on a TV show called Wiseguy, among other things. Oddly, I thought initially he would make an inspired choice to follow Gene Hackman as L. L.
    That's not so odd. When I first heard that Spacey was cast as LL, I thought it was casting news from heaven. I love his villains (such as from Seven and The Usual Suspects) and I thought he would make an awesome LL. That is, until I saw the film. :# The only moment of his from SR which I liked was when he ripped off the wig. Other than that one small moment, I really hated his performance. :s
    "He’s a man way out there in the blue, riding on a smile and a shoeshine. And when they start not smiling back—that’s an earthquake. and then you get yourself a couple of spots on your hat, and you’re finished. Nobody dast blame this man. A salesman is got to dream, boy. It comes with the territory." Death of a Salesman
  • Number24Number24 NorwayPosts: 21,765MI6 Agent
    Number24 wrote:
    Blofeld and SPECTRE are completely out of the question.

    I don't see why Michael Sheen can't be Blofeld, I know Ernst Blofeld appeared in the old Bond franchise but The Joker appeared in the old Batman franchise (1989-1997) too and Warner Bros still brought him back. Why can't MGM do the same with Blofeld?

    They need a new crimminal organisation, and thet have done a great job setting it up in Quantum. Discovering and destroying SPECTRE again is a very poor idea.
  • bluemanblueman PDXPosts: 1,667MI6 Agent
    Why can't the rebooted Blofeld be the head of Quantum?
  • Colonel ShatnerColonel Shatner Chavtastic Bristol, BritainPosts: 574MI6 Agent
    SPECTRE and Blofeld have had their day and worked well in the 1960s, Kevin McClory being a berk who never let go was a blessing in disguise. Quantum should be a fresh start and new direction, why dredge up Dr. Evil? We were introduced to part of their central leadership in QoS and it is more realistic that they should be a shadowy council with no kingpin leader - the newer and more successful crime syndicates have a horizontal leadership.
    'Alright guard, begin the unnecessarily slow moving dipping mechanism...'
  • fire and icefire and ice EarthPosts: 149MI6 Agent
    keep spacey well away from bond, he was terrible as lex luther. my memory alludes me spectre was not used since thunderball because of mcclory right? do eon have the rights to use spectre again now?
    '...exceptionally fine shot...'
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