Villains confirmed: Taubman and Amalric in

After weeks of rumors, Marc Foster has confirmed the casting of French actor Mathieu Amalric as the main villain of Bond 22, and Swiss actor Anatole Taubman as the main second villain.

Hat tip to CBn.

Variety on Bond 22

Commander Bond has the scoop on an extensive Variety interview with the Bond 22 team, including Barbara Broccoli, Paul Haggis, and Marc Foster.

Haggis elaborates, but only slightly: “I can tell you it starts right where ‘Casino’ left off. Yes, Bond will be going after the organization that we hinted at.” So, Bond 22 will be part of an arc, but will the hero now be the fully fledged 007, or will he still be growing into it?
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“It will be the same Bond you saw in ‘Casino,’ ” Haggis says, “a very human and flawed assassin, a man who has to navigate a morally complex and often cynical world while attempting to hold onto his deep beliefs of what is right and wrong.”

And Daniel Craig weighs in:

Craig, speaking recently to the Chicago Sun-Times, echoes Haggis: “He also has to deal with revenge because he has lost the girl. Bond is still maybe too headstrong, and he doesn’t make all of the right decisions.”

The interview confirms no Q or Moneypenny.

As with “Casino,” the absence of traditional supporting elements like gadget-master Q and Miss Moneypenny will continue: “Certainly, there may come a point where those beloved characters return, but,” Broccoli says, “at the moment, they’re not in 22.”

There’s more. Read the whole thing.