Work Begins On Bond 23

from MI6

James Bond producer Michael G. Wilson has given the first indication that work is underway on the 23rd adventure in the series. At the Ivor Novello Awards held at Grosvenor House hotel in London tonight, Wilson told The Sun, "“We have started work on the new film, which I can’t say anything about. Daniel Craig is very keen to get going."

Back in December, Wilson hinted that preliminary work on a screen treatment could be underway in the New Year. Very little news on the film's status has been revealed until now. Fans feared that Daniel Craig's third outing as 007 may have a longer gap than the regular two-year interval due to the handover from Sony back to MGM, but news that the creative juices are flowing at EON Productions could mean that Bond 23 is on track for a late 2010 release after all. For that release date to be met, filming would have to start in January next year.

Also during the Ivor Novello Awards, Wilson was asked about he prospective talent being eyed for the next title theme song. "I would love to get Duffy to sing the next tune. I think she is wonderful. Amy Winehouse would be good too."

Both singers were under consideration for "Quantum of Solace", before Sony secured Jack White and Alicia Keys to write and perform "Another Way To Die" - the first duet in series history.

Daniel Craig talked the The Times in January and backed up his earlier comments that the writing process on Bond 23 can start with a clean slate now the story-arc from "Casino Royale" has been wrapped up, Craig said that the tone could be completely different too. "I love the idea of putting Moneypenny in the film," he said "I’m dead keen to do it. And Q. But I work from the premise that there are millions and millions of people out there who never saw one of the earlier Bond movies. So they don’t understand the martini gag. Or the Moneypenny gag, which is a gag - it had ceased to be a character. So, let’s find out who she is. We can have fun doing that. And, don’t get me wrong, I’m up for a submarine base, as long as the gag works. The problem is that Austin Powers screwed everything up. He exploded the genre. Did I just say that? I did."