New Bond finally announced

Daniel Craig will be filling Pierce Brosnan's shoes as James Bond, it was confirmed today.

Craig arrived by speedboat at the London press conference earlier today to be present for the announcement. Rumours have run wild over the past few months asto who would take the role, with Henry Cavill, Sam Worthington and Goran Visnjic being amongst the recent forerunners.

BBC News quotes the actor as saying: "It's a huge challenge. Life is about challenges and this is one of the big ones as an actor...I've just got to step up to the plate and deal with it."

It has been promised by director Martin Campbell that Craig's first outing as Bond, Casino Royale, will be a "tougher, grittier and more realistic" affair than the typical Bond movie.

Craig explained: "Together with Martin, I want to make the best film we can, the most entertaining film we can. It's not a question of redifining, it's a question of taking it somewhere maybe where it's never gone before."

"We've got an incredible script - that's my first line of attack. Once I'd read that I knew I had to go for it."