Bond 24 is to make a live announcement to mark the start of production on Thursday 4 December, when the Skyfall sequel's official title and cast will be unveiled.

Filmed at the 007 Stage at Pinewood Studios, it will begin at 11am and include a photo call with the new cast.

Fans will be able to watch it via a live stream on 007.com and YouTube.

The announcement comes ahead of the start of principal photography on Monday 8 December, and after rumoured plot points and cast members started to leak out in the press.

Come Thursday, the live stream will be here:

Blue Is The Warmest Colour's Lea Seydoux is expected to become the latest Bond girl, while Django Unchained's Christoph Waltz is thought to be playing a villain in the sequel.

"It’s not immediately evident whether the part’s friend, or foe, or a bit of both," a source told the Mail, adding that his character is "extremely cunning" and "a nemesis of sorts".

The tiny Austrian town of Obertilliach is believed to be among the shooting locations for 007's next outing, along with a car chase in Rome and a sequence in Morocco.