Sean Connery and Lois Maxwell as James Bond and Miss Moneypenny

While fans and critics alike agreed that change is good after the release of Casino Royale, many were still miffed by the exclusion of Miss Moneypenny and Q from the franchise’s reboot. As Quantum of Solace is a direct continuation, it really didn’t make sense to have either character in that movie either, much to the chagrin of Bond fans worldwide.

However, Daniel Craig has recently revealed that Bond 23 might feature not only the return of Miss Moneypenny, but the first actual romantic scene between her and James Bond. While Moneypenny fantasized about Bond in Die Another Day and the two shared a passionate moment in a virtual reality environment, the two have never done anything more than flirt in ‘real life.’

According to Newspost Online:
‘I think you offer it to the best actors you can. You say, Forget what’s happened. Reinvent it and tell us what you think this character should be’, the Daily Star quoted him as saying. ‘That’s where it should come from,’ he added.

‘They said Bond could never be blonde and then Daniel Craig got the part,’ a source said.

Moneypenny is being cast with a view to the next Bond movie and who knows, she could end up in bed with Bond. Whatever happens, she will feature more than ever before, the source added.

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It seems that every time a new Bond film is released there are countless articles about the role of Bond Girls and how finally, for the first time ever, a Bond Girls is equal to Bond himself. This was especially prevalant during the releases of Tomorrow Never Dies and Die Another Day, where the Bond Girls were secret agents themselves and almost as Bondian as 007.

Honor Blackman (Pussy Galore in Goldfinger) in 2008

However, with each new movie there is also a bevvy of former Bond Girls defending their performances as “strong for the time” or some similar statement. The lastest of these defenses comes from the 80 year old Honor Blackman, who played Pussy Galore in 1964’s Goldfinger.

According to Thaindian News:
“In so many of the films, the girls just looked at James and fell flat on their backs,” the Telegraph quoted her, as saying. “Yet Pussy Galore was a career woman - a pilot who had her own air force, which was very impressive. She was never a bimbo,” she added.

She says that Pussy was a realistic depiction of a modern woman.

“Pussy’s flying a plane, so she’s got to be a strong feminist, but then she collapses into Bond’s arms at the end.”

“Deary me. Unfortunately women do do that. We’re good at our jobs, but if we fall in love, we’re a bit stupid,” she added.

To discuss this story and all the latest James Bond news with 007 fans from around the world, please visit the MI6 Debriefing Room

Related Stories:
-Daniel Craig says Bond girls stand up for themselves
-Barbara Broccoli: Bond Girls Were Femenist Icons

This year’s Autographica show will feature numerous Bond Girls signing autugraphs in addition to a host of other celebrities. Bondian guests are set to include: Joanna Lumley, Gloria Hendry, Ivana Milicevic, Kristina Wayborn, Papillon Soo Soo, Margaret Nolan, Alison Worth, Carole Ashby, Gloria Thomas, Caroline Hallett, Toni White, Helene Hunt, Rachel Mcdowall, Cheryl Anne and Jane Spencer.

Ivana Milicevic - Valenka in Casino Royale

From the Autographica Web site:
Autographica is unlike any other similar event you have ever attended. At Autographica you will not just see and meet the guests, but get to know them, as the entire event is held in a luxury hotel, with all the facilities that that encompass. All of our guests stay in the same hotel, so you may well find yourself having breakfast with any one of our guests.

Most guests are available all day both days for signing, and some also offer talks or Q and A session too. In addition, and where time allows, we also have photo shoots with specific guests, and all of these can be booked in advance.

For more information or to purchase your tickets, please visit the Autographica Web site.

Gemma Arterton

In a revalation worth of The Princess Bride, Quantum of Solace star Gemma Arterton has recently revealed that she was born with six fingers on each hand and a “crumpled ear.”

Arterton, 22, still has small lumps on the side of her hands following the childhood procedures to have the extra digits removed. The fingers were “tied”, causing them to fall off naturally.

“It’s my little oddity that I’m really proud of,” she told Esquire magazine. “It makes me different.”

The actress, who plays Agent Fields in Quantum of Solace, James Bond’s 22nd adventure, revealed earlier this year that she was also born with a “crumpled ear” that had to be corrected with surgery.

“I was born with lots of deformities,” the Rada graduate said at the time.

To discuss this story and all the latest James Bond news with 007 fans from around the world, please visit the MI6 Debriefing Room

At the ‘Story Of James Bond’ Ian Fleming tribute at the London Palladium, Roger Moore was reunited on stage with 8 former Bond Girls including Maryam D’Abo, Madeleine Smith, Shirley Eaton, Zena Marshall, Eunice Gayson, Tania Mallett, Caroline Munro and Joanna Lumley. The Sun has a great photo of the event, as seen below:

Roger Moore and 8 Former Bond Girls

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