So Daniel Craig is the sixth official James Bond. I’m excited. I loved Craig in Our Friends in the North.

Furthermore, it seems Q won’t appear. M may not be Judi Dench. If this isn’t a prequel, then let this not explicitly be the start of Bond’s career but let it not follow from the recent nonsense either. Everyone knows it’s the 21st official Bond film, but it doesn’t need to make a point of fitting (or not) with the previous 20 films (as in the irritating referencing to each of the previous 19 in Die Another Day).

One thing is clear, this Bond is going to back to Fleming’s blueprint. Even if he is blond.

In fact, Casino Royale (offical website, requires Flash Player 8 ) is shaping up to be the Bond film I’ve been wanting to see for ages.

Here’s my wishlist (with reasons to be cheerful)

– A Bond who can act (Daniel Craig could be the perfect Bond)

– More ephasis on the quality of the writing (Million Dollar Baby writer Paul Haggis is polishing the script)

– Fewer gadgets – ie piss off, John Cleese, and take your invisible car with you (no Q in Casino Royale)

– Fleming’s Bond, not Moonraker’s Bond (it’s an adaptation of Fleming’s first novel)

And finally… Purvis and Wade (although why not get proper writers to do the job?) have started writing the script for Bond 22. Might Eon have given Craig a contract that means we don’t have to wait 4 years for our next Bond fix? Could we maybe even hope for another 007 film in 2007?