If there’s one thing that we all know Javier Bardem can do really, really well, it’s that he can take a villainous role and turn it into a character that will make your skin crawl. Anyone who’s seen the Coen Bros.’ No Country for Old Men can tell you that his Oscar-winning performance as Anton Chigurh is frightening and unforgettable. He was also one of the more memorable parts of the otherwise bland Skyfall, where he played the sly antagonist Silva.
Today we have word from The Playlist that Bardem might be up to his old villainous tricks once again as he’s been offered the role of Blackbeard in Joe Wright’s upcoming film Pan, an origin story of the infamous Peter Pan. To expand upon that a bit, new details tell us that the plot will follow an orphan to Neverland, where he fights pirates, saves the natives, and eventually has a showdown with Blackbeard himself.
While Wright is mainly known for period pieces like Atonement, Pride & Prejudice, and Anna Karenina, he does have the action flick Hanna under his belt. While it wasn’t a particularly good movie, it did show that he has the skills needed to direct action sequences, and since he’s already had a good deal of experience with drama, it would seem that he should be able to handle something like Pan.
As for the potential casting of Bardem as Blackbeard, it sounds like a fantastic idea. He never ceases to amaze me, so I can only imagine how amazing a performance he’ll give should he choose to take on the role.
Unfortunately, we don’t have any other details on the project just yet, but we do know that the screenplay is coming from Jason Fuchs (Ice Age: Continental Drift). No start date has been given either but if they’re trying to attract big names like Javier Bardem, you can be sure they’re going to try to get moving on it as soon as possible.
What do you think of the possibility of Bardem playing Blackbeard in Pan? Let us know in the comments below!