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Wow, so if this rumor is true it could potentially be very good or very bad for the Bond franchise, and, especially, Quantum of Solace. Now take this whole thing with a huge grain of salt because there is no proof or official word, but a scooper wrote into AICN with the name of an actor who might have snagged the chief villain role in the next James Bond film. No, I'm not talking about Mathieu Amalric -- who we already know is playing Bond's main opponent. And Anatole Taubman is apparently playing another baddie. I'm talking about the boss of all bosses -- the guy Bond was after in Casino Royale, and will be after in Quantum of Solace. The dude behind the entire operation -- the man behind the curtains -- the guy who reports to himself. Oh yes. Him. Well word has it Bond will finally meet up with this head boss at the end of the next film, and the actor currently rumored to be playing him is none other than -- drum roll please -- Al Pacino. Hoo-ahh!
Here's part of what the scooper wrote in to AICN: "But the big news that he leaked was that Al Pacino would be taking part in filming. I was a little shocked as the cast has been revealed already, but he said Pacino would play the head of the terrorist group introduced in CASINO ROYALE and QUANTUM OF SOLACE. Al is said to come to Pinewood in April-May to film what is said to be a brief cameo." Hmmm. Pacino? As the big villain in a Bond film? Keep in mind this is only a rumor right now, but if true, what do you think?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
2-13-2008 @ 10:44AM
DAVID F said...
Oh dear Lord, I hope it's not Pacino...."Hoo-HA! Mr. Bond! We meet at last!"
Guh and Meh.
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2-13-2008 @ 10:47AM
Claudia Lomelí said...
Well... honestly... it would be really cool.
Hoo ah!
Sorry, I couldn't resist.
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2-13-2008 @ 10:54AM
John R said...
I have a feeling that would be epic!
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2-13-2008 @ 10:57AM
BondsBabe said...
Yeah I'd say take it with a biiiggggg rain of salt! That sounds actually ridiculous. It's too much like the old stunt casting of the (mostly Brosnan) older movies that hurt the franchise so badly. We're not talking Christopher Lee as Scaramanga here, we're talking Madonna cameo gimmicky and gimmicky doesn't fly anymore. Remember that horredous Olsen Twin rumour? Yeah this reeks of the same.
Not that I don't like Pacino, I'm not saying that at all. Serpico is one of my fave movies of all time. He's just not right for Bond.
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2-13-2008 @ 11:07AM
Ryan Stewart said...
It would be the worst kind of stunt casting, but don't put anything past Marc Forster -- this guy is a hack of the first order. He's the Euro Brett Ratner.
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2-13-2008 @ 11:08AM
DAVID F said...
Not that I doubt Pacino's talent at all but here's a good question....When was the last time we saw him do some decent (possibly great?) work in a film?
(no, not Ocean's Thirteen!)
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2-13-2008 @ 11:12AM
Christian said...
I'd say that means no more cutesy punchlines in Bond movies. Maybe he'll actually use a trap NOT on a timer.
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2-13-2008 @ 11:39AM
Riley Freeman said...
i think it would a great casting. as long as they dont let him wander too much. or even paul giamatti i love him when he plays a bad guy like in shoot em up. but maybe hes a little too ruff looking with the beard and losing hair thing.
i wouldnt mind pierce brosnan as the bad guy i think that would be kind of cool. but maybe confusing for some of people that dont follow it. unlessssssssss they do a story where someoen tole pierces face and m got all confused etc...
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2-13-2008 @ 12:33PM
MosquitoControl said...
Well that's a disappointment.
Mr. Pacino forgot how to act after Scent of a Woman, and he's been doing the over-the-top, screaming, bug-eyed routine since.
He hasn't really done any good movies since, and he's been awful in everything he's touched. Awful. I find him entirely unwatchable.
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2-13-2008 @ 12:46PM
lloyd said...
Am I the only person who thinks it would be interesting to have Sean Connery be the bad guy? I think it would make for an interesting circle and he's a great actor.
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2-13-2008 @ 1:21PM
Akbar Fazil said...
Too bad Sean has officially retired from acting.
However, I think that would be a bit too cheesy. We've already had Sean as a bad guy in the spy genre (The Avengers) and we saw how that turned out.
Now, bring in George Lazenby and you have a deal.
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2-13-2008 @ 1:26PM
DAVID F said...
I completely agree with MosquitoControl....except he was good in "Heat".
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2-13-2008 @ 1:28PM
katied said...
1)Cinematical-once again, a day late and a dollar short.
2)This is not true.
3)Pierce playing a villain?Not.Gonna.Happen.That is all.
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2-13-2008 @ 1:32PM
The Pepto Pimp said...
You must have missed a little movie called Heat.
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2-13-2008 @ 2:54PM
kb said...
And Donnie Brasco, The Insider, Insomnia... etc. and that's only if you're not into theatrical performances. While I agree he tends to get a bit big sometimes, who doesn't? Jack Nicholson was horrendously hammy in the Departed, but no-one's saying he's forgotten how to act.
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2-13-2008 @ 3:48PM
MosquitoControl said...
Because Jack Nicholson can ham it up yet still provide some nuance, and still provide some variation, and still occasionally tone it down.
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2-13-2008 @ 3:49PM
Akbar Fazil said...
@katied
In a Bond film, sure Pierce probably would never be cast as a villan.
However, depending on how you define villan, Pierce has played plenty of bad guys.
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2-13-2008 @ 4:14PM
Alan T said...
I can't imagine anything more likely to pull me out of the
story and grind my interest to a halt than seeing Pacino's
face up there. He's a major distraction. Bad, bad, bad idea.
And I'm a big fan of his work, from Godfather to Heat. Not so much
in recent films but I have nothing but respect for the guy. Still...
wrong fit.
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2-13-2008 @ 4:49PM
katied said...
Yes,Pierce has played villains...but for a lot of reasons(most of them having to do with how Pierce was fired, and the fact that he shot his mouth off when he was fired) Pierce would be a veryveryveryveryveryvery long shot tp play a Bond villain.
I like Al Pacino,I've seen lots of his movies..but a Bond villain?no.
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2-14-2008 @ 4:06AM
AJ Wiley said...
If true, I might actually pay to see this in theaters.
I'm no Bond fan, but the idea of Jimmy matching wits with Pacino sounds fun.
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