Shutting down rumors. Rami Malek addressed speculation that behind-the-scenes issues on the Bond 25 set have plagued the production — which he promptly claimed was nothing more than hearsay.
There have been several unexpected incidents to arise amid the shooting director Cary Fukunaga’s anticipated feature, from Daniel Craig’s ankle injury to a “controlled explosion” causing damage to the 007 stage and hurting a crew member. There was also speculation that important Bond 25 scenes would not be shot because of the unexpected issues that have occurred so far.
“The key scenes is something that was fabricated,” the 38-year-old explained at a New York press event, Digital Spy reported on Friday, June 21. “But the thing is, Daniel was injured, so they are shooting what they can. I talked to Cary yesterday and the schedule has been altered.”
Theories additionally surfaced regarding Malek’s future involvement due to potential scheduling conflicts, as he is shooting the fourth and final season of Mr. Robot at the same time. The Bohemian Rhapsody star confirmed that he has, in fact, already shot some scenes for his role. “I haven’t shot with Daniel yet, but I’m thrilled to work with him,” he shared with Digital Spy.
The Academy Award winner then gushed about his admiration for Craig, adding: “Daniel is an actor I greatly admire. Over the years, I think he’s put in such phenomenal performances. I found him so captivating in films like Layer Cake and, of course, the Bond films. This is another moment where I find myself pinching myself.”
Malek, 35, was revealed to be in Bond 25 during a live announcement from Bond author Ian Fleming’s Caribbean residence GoldenEye and at Jamaica’s Laughing Waters beach in April.
“I am not jealous, not one bit, that you’re all in the absolutely stunning setting of Ian Fleming’s iconic Caribbean home GoldenEye on the island of Jamaica,” Malek said jokingly in a video shared across the franchise’s social media pages. “Yeah, I’m stuck here in New York, in production. But I’m very much looking forward to joining the whole cast and crew very soon and I promise you all, I will be making sure Mr. Bond does not have an easy ride of it in his 25th outing.”
Ralph Fiennes, Jeffrey Wright, Naomie Harris, Rory Kinnear and Billy Magnussen are among those who are set to appear in the upcoming installment.
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Bond 25 is expected to debut in April 2020.
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