Teen Bond to undertake movie mission

The world's favourite fictional spy is due to return next year as a schoolboy.

09:55 12 April 2004

The world's favourite fictional spy is due to return next year in a younger guise.

A set of new novels, commissioned by Penguin Books, will follow the exploits of a teenage James Bond at Eton in the 1930s.

In the first novel, the future 007 will reportedly travel to a Scottish castle where he discovers a wealthy American carrying out questionable experiments.

Actor and novelist Charlie Higson, who has worked on TV sketch programme The Fast Show, will write the prequels and the first book is expected in March 2005.

Higson, 45, told The Independent newspaper: "I've grown up with Bond, and while I've had to finally accept that I'll never play him in the films, writing about him is even more exciting."

It is not yet clear whether the new Bond stories, aimed at the 9-12 year old market, will be made into films.

Meanwhile, Australian movie hunk Heath Ledger is rumoured to be a potential replacement for Pierce Brosnan as James Bond. Hugh Jackman has also been tipped for the role after Brosnan was rumoured to have said that an Australian actor was in the frame for the part.