New James Bond movie 'Skyfall' will delve into 007's mind

The next James Bond movie, 'Skyfall', promises the usual action, scheming villains and beautiful women.

But for fans of the original novels by Ian Fleming, there’s more - a journey into the troubled psyche of the iconic spy.

“You always go back to Fleming because the character he created over a number of novels was incredibly complex,” said director Sam Mendes yesterday at a news conference in Istanbul, where the crew of ‘Skyfall’ has been filming.

“Some people sometimes forget in the cliche of Bond, which is the international playboy, and someone who’s always untroubled and almost never breaks a sweat, that actually what (Fleming) created was a very conflicted character,” added Mendes, who was joined by cast members, including Bond actor Daniel Craig.

Fleming created a secret agent who was sometimes frustrated and ambivalent about his job. Many Bond movies sidestepped the inner demons, showcasing instead a debonair 007 whose exploits were enhanced with gaudy gadgets and special effects.

In Fleming’s final novels, Mendes said, Bond

suffered from a “combination of lassitude, boredom, depression, difficulty with what he’s chosen to do for a living, which is to kill. That makes him a much more interesting character, and some of those things are explored in this movie, because Daniel as an actor is capable of exploring them”.

It is Craig’s third portrayal of the spy, and he has introduced a darker side to Bond.

Craig said he had spoken to intelligence agents about their work, adding “I’ve got the better job”.

‘Skyfall’ is due for release at the end of October. Judi Dench returns as spy chief M and producers revealed the relationship between Bond and M is tested in the latest movie and MI6, the spy agency, comes under attack.