The new James Bond film, due for release by 2012, has been canned due to a cash crisis.
Production crew were told in April the £132million blockbuster, starring Daniel Craig, had been postponed amid "financial problems" at debtridden movie studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, which co-funded the film.
But now it has confirmed the movie has been axed - and it could be years before the secret agent with a licence to kill is back on the big screen.
A glum insider said: "Members of the production crew have been told the Bond film has been canned.
"There is a lot of bad feeling as a lot of time, money and hard work has already gone into this."
American Beauty director Sam Mendes had been lined up to direct the 23rd flick in the franchise, which started with Dr No in 1962.
But production company EON confirmed in a statement yesterday: "We do not know when development will resume and cannot comment further at this stage."
