SKYFALL Officially Bond 23 Title

Skyfall which director Sam Mendes says has an 'emotional meaning' to the film. Just as we told you last month! You heard it here first! Here's the official synopsis of the film;

"Bond's loyalty to M is tested as her past comes back to haunt her. As MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost."

The press conference took place on the 50th anniversary of the press conference that revealed Sean Connery as 007 for the first Ian Fleming adaptation, Dr. No. Skyfall will see Daniel Craig reprise his role as 007 for the third time in the movie to be directed by Mendes, the helmer of the prestige pictures American Beauty, Revolutionary Road, Road To Perdition and Jarhead. Sam Mendes was on stage alongside Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Javier Bardem (who Mendes confirmed as 'the villain'), French actress and new Bond girl Bérénice Marlohe, and Naomie Harris. Marlohe is playing 'a glamorous, enigmatic character called Severin' which as some have already said is somewhat of an unfortunate title as that is the same as the villain in Carte Blanche, which is not related to this film. Interestingly, Naomie Harris won't be playing Miss. Moneypenny as previously reported. She is instead playing field agent Eve and as she has been in training for two months for the part, this doesn't feel like misdirection. Mendes also confirmed Ralph Fiennes, Ben Wishaw and Albert Finney were in the cast but couldn't tell us who they were playing. Pre-press conference speculation (which has been accurate about everything else) suggests Fiennes is some kind of Blofeld type character and that Albert Finney is M's superior in MI:6. Tellingly, when the panel asked Mendes if the reason no character names were revealed for those above was because we might recognise the names, Mendes said the question was well put and could be accurate. Could that mean Wishaw as a young, eccentric Q and Fiennes really is Blofeld??? Although perhaps most tellingly from the whole press conference are two quotes from Mendes. 1) He loved Casino Royale and wants Skyfall to have a similar tone. 2) He didn't say he loved Quantum of Solace and says Quantum won't feature as villains in this story! So this really does feel like a new start for Bond. Principal photography on the film actually begins today with Whitehall as the location (which is why press conference wasn't at Pinewood). Locations for shooting confirmed as Shanghai, Istanbul and Scotland. Mendes also said the script by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and John Logan is 'fantastic' and will have a ton of action. Oh and to please the ladies he said Daniel Craig has a shirtless scene in the script! Skyfall is less than a year away and will be released 26th October, 2012 and a few weeks later in the U.S. Oh and for the future of Bond, Daniel Craig and Barbara Broccolli said Craig will be around for a few more movies yet. As far as I'm aware he is contracted to Bond 24 at the very least.... I can't remember being this excited about a James Bond movie in a very, very, very long time.