The much-rumoured return of Christoph Waltz’s Blofeld to the James Bond series appears to have been confirmed after the actor was spotted at the studio where the latest film is being shot.
A visitor to Pinewood Studios tipped off the Daily Mail’s entertainment reporter Baz Bamigboye to the sighting, reporting that Waltz urged them not to spread news of his involvement, saying: “You haven’t seen me.”
Exclusive:Hello Mr Waltz... we’ve been expecting you.#ChristophWaltz is back as #Blofeld in @007 #Bond25 , shooting scenes at Pinewood studios . When a visitor spotted him , Waltz insisted , “You haven’t seen me.” pic.twitter.com/g1X91cEJbf
— Baz Bamigboye (@BazBam) July 11, 2019
Waltz’s name was absent from the cast list unveiled in April when shooting began in Jamaica, but it had long been suspected that his cat-stroking supervillain – confirmed alive after a helicopter crash at the end of 2015’s Spectre – would reappear in the new film, scheduled for release in April 2020.
However, it would seem Blofeld takes more of a backseat in Cary Fukunaga’s thriller, with Rami Malek’s baddie taking centre stage. Last month Malek, whose parents are Egyptian, said he would have refused to take the role if his character was involved in any religiously motivated terrorism.
(August 16, 2017)
Despite once saying he would rather take his own life than reprise his role as 007, Daniel Craig confirms he will return as James Bond for the franchise's 25th movie.
(March 15, 2018)
Danny Boyle confirms he is working on a script for the next Bond film alongside his Trainspotting collaborator John Hodge.
(May 25, 2018)
EON Productions’ Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, the custodians of the Bond movies, confirm production will begin at the start of December 2018, with the film released in the UK on 25 October 2019 and in the US a fortnight later.
(August 21, 2018)
Boyle quits the movie over 'creative differences'. Sources close to the production confirm that the next 007 movie will miss its scheduled release date, after disputes between the director, producers and star Craig
(September 14, 2018)
Writers Neal Purvis and Robert Wade return to James Bond for a seventh time, following Boyle’s late-hour departure from the project. True Detective's Cary Fukunaga is named as the new director.
(February 19, 2019)
Another new writer arrives as Bourne Ultimatum writer Scott Z Burns is hired to rewrite the screenplay. The working title of the film - Shatterhand - is released to widespread derision.
(March 13, 2019)
At the risk of being labelled 'too PC' about the climate emergency, it emerges that Bond will be behind the wheel of an electric Aston Martin Rapide E in the new film.
(April 14, 2019)
Riding high on the back of the success of Fleabag, Phoebe Waller-Bridge is reported to have been brought in to liven up new Bond script. The production enjoys a glitzy launch in Jamaica, officially adding Rami Malek to the cast, but failing to reveal the movie's new name.
(May 23, 2019)
Daniel Craig requires surgery on an ankle injured during the filming, putting him out of action for at least two weeks. The official James Bond social media account announced the news, saying production would continue while Craig 'rehabilitates'.
(June 5, 2019)
An explosion on the set injures a crew member and damages the outside of the famous 007 Stage at Pinewood Studios, Buckinghamshire.
(August 20, 2019)
The name of the movie is revealed to be No Time To Die.
(April 1, 2020)
The first release date for the movie passes as Covid begins to impact world cinema.
(November 12, 2020)
A second proposed release date slips, as coronavirus continues to affect the global economy.
(January 22, 2021)
Yet another delay as release is pushed back again until 8 October 2021, 14 months later than planned.
The plot of the film is said to follow an arc first presented in Daniel Craig’s debut as 007, Casino Royale (2006), and to involve genetic engineering.
Waltz is also set to play the lead in the new Woody Allen film, for which principal photography is about to begin in Spain. The actor was absent from a pre-production press conference on Tuesday.
