When things get ugly for James Bond, they usually get very ugly indeed. Bond villains, with their metal hands, scars and third nipples, generally look like a cross between a scrapyard and an accident in a plastic surgery theatre.
But for the 20th film in the lucrative franchise, 007's adversary will be a former model for Ralph Lauren and Versace. Rick Yune, an Asian-American actor and martial arts expert, plays a North Korean general who is pursued by Bond.
Yune, 30, who appeared in last year's action hit The Fast and the Furious, said yesterday: "There have been many amazing characters before me, but I promise, this time Bond will have his hands full."
The film, which does not yet have a title, begins with a hovercraft chase in the demilitarised zone between the two Koreas and continues via Hong Kong to Cuba, Iceland and London.
According to yesterday's Hollywood Reporter, the villain undergoes a facial transformation to elude Bond; a change so radical that his character re-emerges as the British actor Toby Stephens.
It will be Pierce Brosnan's fourth turn as the world-saving spy, and he wants to complete a fifth. Asked yesterday what he thought was a good age for a Bond actor to bow out, the 48-year-old star said: "It takes stamina to play this role. I would like to get off the stage with grace. I am honouring my contract here, but it would be wonderful to do another one. After that, I do not know."
The latest Bond adventure will have all the trademarks, including fast cars, beautiful women, explosions and exotic locations.
The Bond girls will be played Halle Berry, who starred in X-Men, and newcomer Rosamund Pike. Other stars include Dame Judi Dench as M, Samantha Bond as Miss Moneypenny and John Cleese as Q, following the death of Desmond Llewelyn.
Filming will begin at Pinewood Studios, Buckinghamshire, on Monday and the movie is expected to reach cinemas towards the end of the year.
The director, Lee Tamahori, said the filmmakers were still deciding on a title and joked that the process was gruelling because most of the obvious ones had already been used.
