As MI6 revealed last week, as soon as the Sony buyout of MGM had been announced, Brosnan was back at the negotiating table with Eon Productions to bash out a deal for the next film - officially slated for release on 18th November 2005.

As well as the role of 007, MI6 regulars have been approached to return, although no casting decisions have been finalized yet. Should a deal with Brosnan fall through, James Purefoy is the top candidate to become James Bond #6.

Some pre-production units which would have started initial work on the film touted for a January 2005 shoot are still to be formed according to production regulars, making a delay to the expected start date increasingly likely.

A New Direction

In a few days time, the MGM board are expected to sign on the dotted line of Sony's buyout offer and the legal wheels will be put in motion to retire "Leo the lion" come the end of 2005. Although most of the current MGM slate is expected to be canned, the longest running film franchise in movie history is to receive special treatment. James Bond 21 may seem to be in development hell from the public perspective, but the Bond machine is still ticking over in the shadows of the multi-billion dollar deals.

As of the time of writing, the task of deciding who will helm the 21st film is well under way. The choice is down to just two directors, one of whom will pick up from where Lee Tamahori left with "Die Another Day". Although the names are officially under wraps for the moment, one is rumored to be Stephen Frears who was onboard the ill-fated "Jinx" spin-off project.

Location, Location, Location

Recent rumours that Bond 21 will head abroad have been blown out of proportion, as usual, by the British press. Studio space at Pinewood has been booked for some time. At present, this is still the case, although the likelihood is that the start of shooting will slip from January 2005 to Easter.