‘James Bond 25’ cast announced; Rami Malek to play villain

The still-unnamed 25th James Bond movie and Daniel Craig’s last one as 007 is heading home to Jamaica.

Craig, “Bond” producers and director Cary Fukunaga on Thursday launched the film from the Caribbean island nation where Ian Fleming wrote all of his Bond novels. The still untitled film will be partly set in Jamaica, also a setting in “Dr. No” and “Live and Let Die.”

Rami Malek is joining the cast as the villain. The recent Oscar-winner (“Bohemian Rhapsody”) said in a videotaped message that he’ll make sure Bond “will not have an easy ride of it” in Bond 25. Also joining the cast are Ana de Armas, Lashana Lynch, Billy Magnussen, David Dencik and Dali Benssalah. Returning cast members include Ralph Fiennes, Lea Seydoux, Naomie Harris, Jeffrey Wright, Rory Kinnear and Ben Whishaw.

Fukunaga took over directing from Danny Boyle, who departed last year over creative differences. Bond 25 is due out in April 2020.

According to hollywoodreporter.com the plot “finds Bond having left active service and enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica. But his peace is short-lived when his old friend Felix Leiter from the CIA turns up asking for help. The mission to rescue a kidnapped scientist turns out to be far more treacherous than expected, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology.”

The film is set for an April 2020 release.