Sony announced today that principal photography has begun on the 22nd Bond flick, tentatively — and creatively — titled Bond 22, at London’s venerable Pinewood Studios. Daniel Craig returns as the blonde Bond, accompanied by Casino Royale co-stars Judi Dench, Jeffrey Wright and Giancarlo Giannini. Newcomers include Gemma Arterton, Mathieu Amalric (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly), who plays Bond’s Gallic nemesis, and Olga Kurylenko (Hitman), who plays the lead bond girl Camille.

Variety reports that Ukranian actress Olga Kurylenko has been cast as the female lead girl in the newest James Bond film, the still untitled Bond 22. According to the official press release, Kurylenko will be playing the role of Camille, who “challenges Bond and helps him come to terms with the emotional consequences of Vesper’s betrayal.”

Kurylenko, born in 1979 in Berdyansk, former USSR, recently co-starred in Hitman and with Elijah Wood in a segment for Paris, je t’aime. She began her film career in France in 2005. She received the certificate of excellence award at the 2006 Brooklyn International Film Festival for her performance in L’Annulaire.

To learn more about the new Bond girl addition to the Bond 22 casting, head over to Olga Kurylenko Online.

British newcomer Gemma Arterton has been cast as the Bond girl for the latest installment of the James Bond franchise now filming in London for Columbia Pictures and MGM.

The film’s production companies late last week said Arterton will play Fields in the Marc Forster-directed movie, which has the working title of Bond 22 and stars Daniel Craig as Agent 007.

Talk of Arterton’s casting has been swirling since mid-December but had been unconfirmed by the producers. On Friday, Eon Prods. in London and Santa Monica-based Danjaq Prods., as well as Arterton’s agent, ICM in London, confirmed the casting. Details of her character were not available, but a Danjaq rep said “it’s a nice-sized role.”

The 21-year-old Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts grad joins a cast that includes Craig, Judi Dench, Giancarlo Giannini, Mathieu Amalric, Jeffrey Wright and Jesper Christensen.

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The internet is currently abuzz with rumours that St Trinian’s actress Gemma Arterton will be the next Bond girl, as reported in several tabloids today. Though we’d encourage you not to believe anything everything you read in the red tops, Empire has learned from a source who’s in a position to be absolutely sure that this casting is 100% true. What’s not absolutely certain yet is whether Arterton will be the main Bond girl, like Eva Green in Casino Royale, or one of the peripheral lovelies like Caterina Murino and that other one. But what we’re hearing suggests that she’ll be in a fairly major role.

The storyline for Bond 22 ? or 007 as it’s rumoured to be called after Daniel Craig accidentally slipped up slightly on a talk show ? is, of course, still under wraps, so there’s no knowing what her role might be. Arterton’s certainly got the looks for the part, though we can’t judge her acting skills yet as we’ve yet to see St Trinian’s, her first movie. But we do know she’s lovely.

Source: Empire Online