Samantha Bond on the absence of Miss Moneypenny from Casino Royale

She has waved 007 off on some of his most perilous missions, but time has finally run out for Miss Moneypenny - reports The Telegraph.

The producers of the new James Bond film, Casino Royale, which will star Daniel Craig as the secret agent, revealed last night that her character will not feature in the £70 million adaptation.

The decision to axe Moneypenny, who appears fleetingly in Ian Fleming's original novel, is the biggest indication yet that the film will deviate substantially from the spirit of previous Bond outings.

Although it was widely known that Samantha Bond, who has played the character in the last four films, was not going to reprise the role, it had been assumed that someone else would take over, with the actress Camilla Power, 29, being linked to the part. Michael G Wilson, who co-produces the Bond franchise with his step-sister, Barbara Broccoli, confirmed Moneypenny's departure.

"Neither Miss Moneypenny nor Q will appear. Neither of them are in the book. The film will update the novel but stick very closely to the storyline. In the story, Bond is just joining the service."

The claim will surprise fans, not least because Moneypenny is clearly mentioned in Fleming's original: "Miss Moneypenny would have been desirable but for eyes which were cool and direct and quizzical," he wrote.

Apart from Samantha Bond, Moneypenny has been played in the official 007 series, which stretches from Dr No in 1962 to Die Another Day 40 years later, by Lois Maxwell and Caroline Bliss. Maxwell was in 14 of the films alongside George Lazenby, Sean Connery and Roger Moore, bowing out at the same time as Moore in A View To A Kill. Bliss played Moneypenny twice - opposite Timothy Dalton - and although liked by fans was generally believed to have been the least interesting incarnation.

Fleming is thought to have modelled the Moneypenny character on Vera Atkins, the former assistant to Maurice Buckmaster, the head of the French section at the Special Operation Executive. Although Moneypenny has moved with the times, she has always been portrayed as having a secret yearning for 007.

Samantha Bond, 43, who played Moneypenny four times, said she had known that the character would not be making an appearance in the new film. It had also been difficult for her to contemplate playing alongside anyone but Pierce Brosnan.

"As for Daniel as Bond, I think it is an absolutely brilliant choice. He is butch, male, attractive and a bloody good actor. He was by far the most plausible choice," she said.

Meanwhile, Tim Craig, the father of the new 37-year-old Bond, revealed that the family were not keen on the films.

"We have seen them on TV like everyone else but we haven't queued up at the cinema to catch one of them," he said, "They're not exactly challenging. There are a lot better films around.

"I'm obviously very pleased that he got the part - but then again I am biased. He is a superb actor with a fine body of work behind him. He's a very fit guy and will be up to the demands of the role."

Mr Wilson, confirmed last night that the new film, which is due to be released next year, will be darker than its predecessors and would be closer to the books.

He said the team had come to the conclusion that the series needed to change direction if it was to continue to grow. In particular, there had to be less emphasis on stunts and gadgets. "We had a good run with Pierce but the films were moving towards the more fantastic and there was a feeling that that sort of film had run its course," he said. "Die Another Day was our most successful one yet but we felt audiences were getting tired of the over-the-top action sequences. We thought it was time to reinvent the series before it ran out of steam."

The novel on which the film is based in one of the darkest in the series. Mr Wilson said: "We want to be as true to the book as possible. At the same time we want to make a film that is a 12A or a 13 in the States. That means we can't be too graphic. We are very mindful of that."

Lois Maxwell, who lives in Australia, was last night unavailable for comment.

Thanks to `JP` for the alert.

Discuss this news here...