The search for Bond's new babe continues

By Joshua Tyler Jan 11, 2006, 16:19 GMT

Natasha Henstridge

We’ve been reporting on WB’s hunt to find a new Bond girl for ‘Casino Royale’ since before the casting of Daniel Craig as the new James Bond. They still haven’t found anyone.

The role has been offered to Charlize Theron, who turned it down. Rumor had them going after Angelina Jolie, who decided she wasn’t interested. Scarlett Johansson was supposedly in the mix, but she hasn’t taken it. Rumor had them looking at Jessica Simpson, but let’s face it she can’t act. That leaves the Bond girl of the moment role, along with just about every other role in Martin Campbell’s ‘Casino Royale’ outside of M and James Bond completely uncast.

This morning, Variety says that Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson as well as director Martin Campbell are moving on to audition a new batch of actresses for the part of James’ new bed-buddy. Four actresses are now said to be in the running, and the names they’re giving are a considerable step down in quality from the likes of Charlize Theron.

Variety only reveals two of the names in consideration. It’s 31-year-old Natasha Henstridge of ‘Species’ and bad late-night television fame and a 32-year-old Australian actress named Kimberly Davies, who actually did a voice in the James Bond videogame “Nightfire”.

Whoever they hire, the decision is supposed to be made by next week, which may explain why they’ve decided to settle for a lesser-known like Henstridge instead of continuing to beg for major stars like Jolie or Johansson.