Mendes Springs a Casting Surprise: Albert Finney

The latest star name being added to the Bond 23 cast-list by director Sam Mendes appears to be the legendary actor Albert Finney. According to the showbiz columnist Baz Bamigboye, writing in the UK's Daily Mail newspaper (October 28), Sam Mendes 'wanted to spring a surprise on his high-calibre cast at Pinewood studios for a script reading of the latest 007 adventure'.

Bamigboye continued: 'As the likes of Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Javier Bardem and Ralph Fiennes sat leafing through their scripts, each stamped 'Highly Confidential', with every page watermarked and coded, they must all have been wondering: who on earth could the Oscar-winning director be bringing in who might leave them shaken and (pleasantly) stirred'.

And the answer, it seems, was Albert Finney, 'revered by his peers and about to make his Bond debut at the age of 75'. Bamigboye believes that Finney will play a Foreign Office mandarin with powers over MI6, a part which was described to the showbiz writer as 'a reasonably big role and full of class'. Bamigboye speculated: 'The part probably makes him M's boss, though she - as played by Judi - might not see it that way'.

Bamigboye added that the cast were joined at the studio by Naomie Harris (who will play Moneypenny), Berenice Marlohe (who plays a femme fatale), and Rory Kinnear, the award-winning actor who will reprise his role as M's Chief of Staff (Kinnear was in Quantum of Solace). Ben Wishaw and Helen McCrory have also been given unspecified roles. Towards the end of his report, Bamigboye also claimed that the Bond producers have asked one of Bond 23's screenwriters, John Logan, to be involved in writing more 007 screenplays.

It is believed that the traditional EON start-of-production media event will be held on the morning of Thursday, November 3.