Above: Daniel Craig will reprise his role as 007 in the 22nd James Bond film, with filming expected to start in December 2007 at Pinewood.

Lighten Up
According to a recent interview, Craig said "[the producers] just want more gags. The next one's going to be a lot funnier. Octopussy. Pussy Galore. They're all great names. But that's the thing; all the Bond jokes have been flipped on their heads. They've all gone beyond..."

He continued, "Bond is supposedly the most male moment [in film] but to me he’s never been macho. That Bond is something that Sean Connery created in Dr No. There’s no point in trying to compete with every Bond that came before. You manage to make it your own"

“I don’t know Sean but I wouldn’t want to meet him in a dark alley - he was a big strong guy and he had a big male presence about him.

“Everybody was in an uproar when he was going to be James Bond. He got flak because he was basically an Edinburgh bricklayer. And everyone who read the books thought how can he possibly do it? But he created a style that was unique and kind of sexy."

Director Marc Forster explained he has not really addressed Bond 22 yet. "I'm just literally mixing The Kite Runner in July and then sometime in August or September, I start [Bond]," he said. "To be honest, I haven't put any thought because really, my mind is in The Kite Runner and scoring and finishing that up. I haven't really spent any time with that stuff. I wish I could tell you. Maybe in a later period."

One of his first jobs will be to screentest the cast that will compliment Craig as 007. "Yes, I think finding Bond girls will always be an interesting task but again, not something I have dealt with at this point".

Above: LA Fim Festival chat host James Mangold, Bond 22 director Marc Forster and writer Paul Haggis.

Although Eon Productions gave "no comment" to questions about Craig's length of contract, the 39 year-old actor confirmed during several interviews at the time of Casino Royale's release that he had signed up to make three films. "I've signed up for two more, and then I can get on with my life!" he said last year. An official announcement about Bond 22 also included this figure. Press has separately stated he is getting £8 million for the three films. According to Variety, executives recently renegotiated the company's deal with Craig to continue as 007, significantly upping his salary though declining to give him a share of back-end.

In other studio news, reports confirm that Sony has the right to distribute the Bond 22 theatrically, with MGM set to handle the film's release on cable and home entertainment. "On the next Bond film, Sony is a 50-50 financier with MGM," said one source familiar with the arrangement. "But, according to their deal, in five years, MGM can buy Sony's 50% back. That was true on'Casino Royale, too: They can buy Sony's half back in five years, and there's plenty of TV and DVD money in those movies".