Vacant Vesper

It seems a long time ago that Daniel Craig weaved his way down a choppy Thames with a boat-full of Marines and was unveiled as the next 007.

Since that day in October, Craig’s appointment has slowly been overshadowed by the rumours as to who will fill the role of Bond girl, Vesper Lynd.

Casino Royale began shooting in the Czech capital of Prague last week under the guidance of GoldenEye helmer Martin Campbell.

Crash writer Paul Haggis recently completed a bout of script editing on the movie and he pointed out that the female lead wouldn’t be required on camera for another month.

“They're talking to three to four girls right now,” Haggis said. “Every week I read there's a new Bond girl, and I call them and they say, 'No, you idiot.'”

The tabloid press believe that among the contenders are Thandie Newton and Angelina Jolie but our sources suggest that far from playing with the media, producers Michael G Wilson and Barbara Brocoli simply haven’t reached any conclusions yet.

Casino Royale will be the 21st adventure for the world’s deadliest superspy and is slated for a 17 November release date.