Bond 22 began production in London last week. Among the scenes shot were a man talking on his cell phone at the Barbican and Bond and M walking together in the London streets. Other foreign locations for the film are said to include Italy, Panama, Austria, and Bolivia. Plot details and even the title are being kept very tight under wraps, but it is said that Bond 22 will be a direct continuation of Casino Royale.

Bond 22 is scheduled for release on November 7, 2008, just over 10 months from the beginning of production. Marc Forster is directing. Daniel Craig will be reprising his role as 007. Maurice Green has been cast as the main villain, Mathieu Amalric; and Ukrainian actress Olga Kurylenko as the lead bond girl. Also reprising their roles from Casino Royale are Judi Dench as M, Giancarlo Giannini as Mathis, and Jeffrey Wright as Felix Leiter, Bond’s “brother from Langley.”

Director Forster has said that “audiences should be prepared for a few surprises in this outing.”

The film will be more of a journey into 007’s inner being that a globe-hopping trip around the world. As Forster explained: “When Bond began in the Connery days, travel was a luxury not everyone could afford. Today, the world has become smaller. If Bond goes to a beach with palm trees it’s almost banal now. The only interesting trip remains the journey inwards, deep in to the psyche.”