Bond 23 Location Scouting In South Africa

6th April 2011

MI6 can reveal that director Sam Mendes and producer Barbara Broccoli are understood to be in South Africa prepping for production of the 23rd James Bond film.

Former England international cricketer Darren Gough spilled the beans as he sat next to the pair during a first class Virgin flight to Johannesburg earlier today. Gough said that they were travelling to scout locations for the film. Whether their location work is based just in South Africa is unclear. No James Bond actor has filmed scenes in the country before, although it was visited by villains Wint & Kidd in the 1971 outing "Diamonds Are Forever".

South Africa has been a long-rumoured location for a future 007 adventure, with press reports routinely linking the nation to upcoming movies. At one time, "Casino Royale" (2006) was scheduled to shoot there, but plans switched before cameras rolled.

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Just yesterday, Mendes was spotted in the West End sitting in on rehearsals for the upcoming Shrek The Musical at Drury Lane. English actor Nigel Lindsay, who will be starring in the stage production, also confirmed that Mendes was about to leave the UK to prep for 007 shooting.

Meanwhile, Daniel Craig is currently in London filming scenes for the English-language remake of "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" as the lead role Mikael Blomkvist.

Filming on Bond 23 is expected to start in November this year, with a release date set for November 9th, 2012. MI6 understands that Pinewood Studios will once again be home base for the production.