MADS MIKKELSEN - DANISH ACTOR CONFIRMED AS BOND BAD GUY

LATEST: Danish actor MADS MIKKELSEN has officially been given the task of terrorising superspy JAMES BOND in the new 007 movie CASINO ROYALE.

The KING ARTHUR star's announcement, made today (16FEB06), was partly overshadowed by his loose-lipped father, a Danish taxi driver, who has been telling his fares for weeks of his son's Bond villain news.

Mikkelsen will play Bond nemesis LE CHIFFRE in Casino Royale, according to Hollywood trade paper The Hollywood Reporter.

He joins a cast that includes DANIEL CRAIG as the new 007 and DAME JUDI DENCH as M. A new Bond girl is set to be announced in the coming days.

Mikkelsen won't be the first actor to play evil mastermind Le Chiffre - ORSON WELLES played the role in the star-studded 1967 parody adaptation of IAN FLEMING's novel, which starred DAVID NIVEN as 007.

Le Chiffre is rumoured to have been inspired by British occultist ALEISTER CROWLEY.