Here’s a bit of casting news that may come as no surprise (although it’s certainly welcome nonetheless): Dame Judi Dench has confirmed that she will be reprising her role as M in the upcoming James Bond film, Bond 23.  Bond fansite MI6 reports that Dench recently confirmed her involvement in the project while receiving an outstanding achievement award at the South Bank Sky Arts Awards.

Bond 23 will mark Dench’s seventh turn as M (beginning with 1995′s Goldeneye).  Directed by Sam Mendes, from a script by John Logan, Neal Purvis, and Robert Wade, Bond 23 will of course also star Daniel Craig and is scheduled to hit theaters on November 9th, 2012.

Now that MGM’s financial mess is settled, it looks like James Bond is finally back on track.  Deadline reports that Bond 23 (tentative title, obviously) is currently set for November 9, 2012.  Sam Mendes is still attached to direct and Daniel Craig will return as 007.  Production is set to begin late this year.  While a script from Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, and Peter Morgan (Frost/Nixon) was previously going to be used, Deadline is now reporting that Mendes will work from a script by Purvis, Wade, and Gladiator screenwriter John Logan.  Now let the title and Bond girl speculation begin!

Currently, the only other film holding the November 9, 2012 release date is McG’s Ouija.  The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 is due out a week later.

There has been much speculation regarding the next James Bond film (or Bond 23), especially after the near-demise of MGM. Recently, news broke that the company, having successfully filed for bankruptcy, had set its sights on a 2012 release date with a new Bond film to follow every other year. More importantly, director Sam Mendes (Road to Perdition) had been attached to direct the Quantum of Solace follow up, a rumor confirmed by the Academy Award-winning director’s wife Kate Winslet back in December.

Variety now reports, however, that pre-production on Bond 23 has been “halted” as the company awaits bids for its assets. A spokesman for the studio confirmed that scripting is still underway, but that the project’s timeline is “a little up in the air what with the situation at MGM, so we gave to be flexible.” Oddly enough, the article also states that no director is attached to the project. With star Daniel Craig actively pursuing other projects, including David Fincher’s adaptation of The Millenium Trilogy, and MGM in disarray, will Bond 23 ever see the living daylights?

You know what’s changed since the last time we reported that Sam Mendes was still planning to helm James Bond 23?  Nothing.  But if you need convincing, Kate Winslet confirms that she’ll be moving to London with their kids so that the family can be together during the shoot.  Said Winslet (who is currently estranged from Mendes),

“Sam is doing the next Bond film, all being well, and we’ll all be in England if that happens. It’s such a massive commitment for him and it’s not fair for him to commute backwards and ­forwards to New York from ­London. It would be impossible. The children will be there with me.”

Daniel Craig is still attached to play James Bond.  Mail Online says shooting is expected to begin near the end of 2011, although previous reports have said late summer/early fall.  Before getting to work on Bond, Mendes will direct Kevin Spacey in Richard III at the Old Vic Theater in June.

Due to a deal with Warner Bros., The Hobbit was able to wrest itself free from MGM’s financial morass and begin production in earnest with a shooting date set for February 2011.  Now it’s looking like MGM’s other major property, James Bond, may also be back on track.  According to Bloomberg (via MovieWeb), now that MGM has finally filed for bankruptcy, the studio can move forward with development on the popular franchise.  MGM will reportedly own half of the rights to James Bond 23 with an equal partner paying all of the production costs.  Future Bond movies would be fully owned and financed by MGM.  The studio plans “new James Bond films may be released every second year starting in November 2012.”

Hit the jump for an update on all of the players currently involved with James Bond 23.

Earlier this week, news broke that the upcoming James Bond film had gone from delayed to outright dead.  However, just because something isn’t moving, that doesn’t mean that it’s deceased.  The next Bond movie can’t move forward until the MGM’s financial meltdown comes to a close.  No one knows when that will be, but Deadline reports the good news that as of right now, director Sam Mendes and star Daniel Craig will come back to Bond 23 when MGM sorts out its business.  Deadline also reports that studios Spyglass Entertainment and Summit Entertainment are the front-runners to take control of MGM by the early fall.  That would be tremendous news as I think Craig is too good of a James Bond to only get two movies (with only the first one being good).  The sooner the MGM situation is resolved, the more times Craig can potentially play 007.

While they wait to return, Mendes and Craig are pursuing other projects.  Mendes is directing an adaptation of the Ian McEwan novel On Chesil Beach. As for Craig, he’s starring in Jon Favreau’s Cowboys & Aliens (which is due out next July) and is in negotiations to star in David Fincher’s adaptation of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

File this one under highly-unlikely-but-conceptually-fascinating rumors in your bizarrely-specific filing system.  Cinema Blend reports that the Bond 23 filmmakers are considering Rachel Weisz to play the head of the evil organization, Quantum in the next movie.  Other than the source, how does CB bolster this argument?  Weisz is friends with Daniel Craig (they’re co-starring in an upcoming movie!) and she had a “personal relationship” with Mendes in the past.  I’m sold.

But it would be very cool to have a woman play the next Bond villain.  I’m sure Weisz would be fantastic in the role (as she is in just about everything), but I think having a woman be the head of Quantum would be a brilliant idea. Cinema Blend is incorrect in saying that no woman has risen above henchman-status among Bond villains.  Sophie Marceau was the main baddie of The World Is Not Enough, but I understand trying to forget that movie.

What are your thoughts on having a woman play the head of Quantum? Do you think Weisz would be a good choice or do you have a better killer lady in mind?  Let us know in the comments section.

THR is reporting that Sam Mendes (Away We Go) is in negotiations to direct the 23rd James Bond film.  The production is clearly moving ahead much faster than expected, especially in light of yesterday’s report that Bond’s timetable was uncertain due the MGM sale.  While that sale is still moving forward, Bond 23 has its eye on a 2011 release date.  Writers Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, and Peter Morgan, and producers Michael Wilson and Barbara Broccoli are still attached in their respective roles.

Back in October, Daniel Craig was signing autographs for fans when one asked when the next Bond film would come out.  Craig said they were planning to shoot, “Late next year,” which is now late this year.  It will be interesting to see if the hiring of Mendes pushes up the timetable on the film.  It looks like it will definitely push back the adaptation of the Vertigo comic Preacher, which Mendes is also attached to direct.