Director Sam Mendes is bringing his own spin to the next James Bond installment, tentatively titled "Bond 23"—in the form of Welsh star Rhys Ifans.
Ifans will join an A-list cast that includes Javier Bardem as one of the bad guys, Judie Dench as M, Ralph Fiennes (yes, Voldemort) in an undisclosed role, Naomi Harris as the faithful assistant Moneypenny, and, of course, Daniel Craig in his third go-round as 007, The Telegraph reports.
Best known for his role as Hugh Grant's BFF in "Notting Hill," Ifans appeared opposite Craig in 2004's "Enduring Love," an adaptation of Ian McEwan's novel in which Ifans played Craig's lover stalker. And yes, they kissed.
"I spent the whole shoot winding up Dan Craig saying, 'Only four days to go now, Dan, darling, before our snogging scene,'" he tells the Telegraph.
Sounds like a good time to us.
But what did Daniel think? "Even now, after two Bonds, Dan still maintains that the hardest stunt he's ever done was getting to grips with my mouth."
We'll have to wait and see if Craig feels the same after these two former flames reunite for this 007 adventure, scheduled to shoot in South Africa, but one thing is certain: with Ifans in the mix it's bound to put a new twist on classic Bond.
