Is Bardem 007's Next Villain?

Just days after the news broke that he'd been offered the lead role of gunslinger Roland Deschain in the epic film and TV adaptation of The Dark Tower comes word that Oscar winner Javier Bardem has also been offered a major role in Bond 23.

"Details about the character are being kept under wraps for now. But traditionally the biggest male role opposite 007 is the villain," according to Deadline. "The EON Productions offer by principals Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli to Bardem to join star Daniel Craig and director Sam Mendes was made last week, at around the same time that Bardem received his Best Actor nomination for Biutiful."

Deadline adds that MGM is also trying to leverage their ownership of the Bond franchise to get more out of potential Bond 23 distributors: "(MGM's) in the middle of negotiating to make an overall deal for worldwide theatrical and home entertainment distribution of not just Bond but also MGM's new product as well as its library of films. But what isn't known is that, as part of that deal, MGM wants whichever studio is chosen to distribute Bond 23 to co-finance a number of [non-Bond] films with MGM."

The site claims the studios angling for Bond 23 -- namely Sony, Paramount and Fox -- are becoming frustrated with MGM's machinations. Could these moves come back to bite them?