Confusion is rife amid the production of the next James Bond film as actor Saïd Taghmaoui revealed that Danny Boy cast as the lead villain before resigning as director.

Boyle removed himself from production citing “creative differences” as it emerged the director clashed with lead actor Daniel Craig.

Prior to stepping aside, Boyle had made Saïd Taghmaoui his lead villain. “I’m supposed to do the next James Bond, playing the lead bad guy,” the actor told The National. “I was cast by Danny Boyle, and just now he left the project, so of course there’s some uncertainty.”

Taghmaoui has also revealed that the production team are still unsure of the location for the next film, a decision that impacts him directly: “We don’t know who the director will be, and the producers don’t know if they’re going to go Russian or Middle East with the baddie right now,” he said.

“I literally just received a message saying: ‘If they go Middle East, it’s you. If they go Russian, it’s someone else.’

“It’s the story of my life. Always on that line between something that could change my life and something that disappears.”