St Trinian's star Arterton graduates to Bond
Story by Jack Foley
GEMMA Arterton has graduated from a role in the recent St Trinian’s movie to becoming the ‘new Bond girl’ in the next 007 film, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The 21-year-old actress is to play a character called Fields in the 22nd Bond feature, which is being directed by Marc Forster (of The Kite Runner fame).
No other details have been released about the role, or whether Arterton is the major Bond girl.
But a spokesman for the film’s producer, Danjaq Productions, told the Reporter that it was “a nice-sized role”.
Filming has recently begun on the keenly-anticipated movie, which is due for release in November, and marks Daniel Craig’s second outing as 007 after Casino Royale.
Arterton, for her part, came to the attention after playing an unruly school pupil in the St Trinian’s revival produced and co-starring Rupert Everett.
Born in Kent, the actress trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and made her stage debut while still at drama school as Rosaline in Shakespeare’s Love’s Labour’s Lost at London’s Globe Theatre.
Forthcoming roles include Guy Ritchie’s RocknRolla, alongside Gerard Butler, and 3 And Out, alongside Mackenzie Crook.
If she is to be the main Bond girl, her casting would continue a tradition of Bond producers choosing less established actresses for the coveted part, beginning with the then unknown Ursula Andress in Dr No anc coming up-to-date with Eva Green in Casino Royale.
Although very little is known about Bond 22, rumours persist that it will take up where Casino Royale left off and find Bond on a new mission to infiltrate a drug ring flooding Britain with heroin.
If so, then it would be loosely based upon the Ian Fleming short story Risico, although the script is once again being enhanced by Paul Haggis, of Crash and In The Valley of Elah fame.
As momentum gains ahead of the film’s release, it was also confirmed by producers last week that French actor Mathieu Amalric will play Bond’s main adversary.
Amalric is previously best known for his acclaimed performance as real-life paralyzed stroke victim Jean-Dominique Bauby in Julian Schnabel’s The Diving Bell & The Butterfly, which opens in UK cinemas on February 8.
Bond 22 is tentatively scheduled for a UK release on November 7, 2008.