Newton. Thandie Newton? Stirling. Rachael Stirling? Sony executives have to settle quickly on a Bond girl to play opposite new 007 Daniel Craig in Casino Royale, which is set to begin shooting January 30 in order to make a summer release date. Angelina Jolie and Charlize Theron reportedly turned the job down, and now Crash’s Newton has emerged as one of four finalists for the role of Vesper Lynd, a fellow agent romanced by Bond, according to an executive at a rival studio, which has to wait for the Bond producers to make their choice before considering her for a different part. The British beauty did a dry run catching a spy’s eye with Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible 2, and she recently wrapped the Will Smith drama The Pursuit of Happyness for Sony. The exec reveals that another finalist is Brit Stirling, whose mum, Diana Rigg, played a Bond girl in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. Sony reps declined to comment.

Next: Will Hoax Save So-So JT LeRoy Film?

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• Archive: “Intelligencer”
• Articles by Ben Wasserstein
• Table of Contents: Jan 23, 2006 issue of New York | Subscribe!