Javier Bardem: The next James Bond villain?

Oscar winner Javier Bardem could be starring opposite Daniel Craig in the next James Bond film.

Bardem -- an Oscar nominee this year for "Biutiful" -- has been offered a starring role in the next Bond movie, Deadline reports. Details of the part are being kept quiet, but "starring role" in a Bond film tends to mean either James Bond or the bad guy. Craig already has the Bond role sewn up, we're assuming Bardem was approached to play the villain.

Bardem hasn't actually accepted the part yet, though. Deadline notes that also being courted to star in director Ron Howard's adaptation of Stephen King's "The Dark Tower," which would encompass three films and possibly a TV miniseries bridging the first two movies. That's a huge commitment that could conceivably make it difficult for Bardem to do both roles.

The new Bond movie, the 23rd in the history of the franchise, is scheduled for release in November 2012. Craig will once again play Agent 007, and the story is said to pick up soon after the events in "Quantum of Solace." Sam Mendes ("American Beauty," "Road to Perdition") is directing a script by Neal Purvis and Robert Wade -- who co-wrote "Casino Royale" and "Quantum of Solace" -- and John Logan ("Gladiator," "The Aviator").