Posted By: Margaret Pozzini

By Mike Collett-WhiteTue Nov 14, 11:55 PM ET

LONDON (Reuters) - James Bond is back. This time he is
blond, brutal and his heart gets bruised.
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And when asked if he wants his Martini cocktail shaken or
stirred during a high-stakes game of poker, he breaks the Bond
mold by petulantly replying: "Do I look like I give a damn?"

British actor Daniel Craig has put a new spin on the old
spy for "Casino Royale" in a gamble for a studio looking to
give the 21-film franchise a makeover.

The high-speed chases in an Aston Martin and beach beauties
are never far away as Bond travels the world after Le Chiffre,
evil banker to the world's terrorists, but there is more
realistic action and emotion alongside the glamour and gadgets.

The 38-year-old actor of stage and screen has won critical
acclaim for his portrayal of the superspy ahead of the world
premiere in London on Tuesday in front of Queen Elizabeth and
celebrities including Elton John and Paris Hilton.

Hundreds of screaming fans waited along the red carpet in
Leicester Square for a glimpse of Craig, who is enjoying his
new life as a superstar.

"It's fantastic, fabulous, absolutely fabulous," he told
reporters at the premiere.

When asked to describe "Casino Royale," he said: "It's
emotionally more interesting. He goes on to make a few
mistakes, but at the end of the day he becomes Bond."

Asked if she had taken a fancy to her new Bond, British
actress Judi Dench, who reprises her role as spy master M,
replied: "I'm old enough to be his grandmother."

The story goes back to the beginning of 007's life as a spy
and is based on the first Ian Fleming Bond novel from 1953.

Producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson admit they
took a risk in casting Craig, whose appointment in October 2005
was met with complaints from fans who said he was too blond,
too unsophisticated and simply too ugly to carry off the role.

"It didn't really bother us because we knew we had the
right guy," Broccoli said. "The controversy didn't really
disturb us."

When asked about Craig's next Bond movie, expected to be
released in 2008, Wilson added: "One at a time, one at a time."

FILM OF SURPRISES

With a budget of around $100 million and marketing costs
almost as much, "Casino Royale," directed by New Zealand-born
Martin Campbell, must be a hit to make money.

"Die Another Day," the last Bond film starring Pierce Brosnan, earned an impressive $430 million at the box office,
making it a hard act to follow. The 20 official Bond films have
amassed nearly $4 billion in ticket sales worldwide.

"Casino Royale" goes on general release on November 17 and
will be full of surprises for Bond fans.

A chiseled Craig emerges from the sea in a shot normally
reserved for Bond girls, and there is real intensity in the
relationship between 007 and leading lady Vesper Lynd, a
prickly official at the British Treasury played by Eva Green.

The secret agent gets his fair share of cuts and bruises,
and is subjected to a form of torture that will have male eyes
in the audience watering.

The film-makers are even trying to drive the film into the
record books. They say flipping and rolling Bond's Aston Martin
seven-and-a-half times in one stunt using a special cannon has
earned them a world record.

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