Mathieu Amalric to be villain in next Bond movie

Melbourne, (ANI): Mathieu Amalric has signed on to star as the villain in the next 007 movie, Bond 22. The French actor/director is set to play Bond's archnemesis, SPECTRE head Ernst Stavro Blofeld. Amalric confirmed the news to Empire Online.

"I will, it"s true. I play the villain, yes. James Bond," Moviehole quoted him, as telling the site. He also revealed that playing the villain was not what he was looking for. "It has to do with childhood, you know? To be a villain in James Bond is just so funny. I never dreamt about that. It"s not what I want to do with my career," he said.

"It"s just that I have kids and it"s so funny to do that. But it doesn"t mean that I"m not going to do a very small French film for free with my friends." Reprising his role as 007 will be British actor Daniel Craig when the movie hits the big screen in November 2008.