Bean Does Bond

As Empire Online reports, "Mr. Bean" Rowan Atkinson is to play an English MI6-agent.

Austin Powers has proved that the James Bond series is a potential goldmine for spoof filmmakers, and now Rowan Atkinson is getting in on the act with Johnny English. In this comedy, from a writing team that includes Ben Elton, the Bean star plays British MI6 agent Johnny English, a role that sounds somewhat reminiscent of his incompetent spy in the Barclaycard ads.

The obligatory love interest will come in the form of Neighbours star turned singer Natalie Imbruglia, making her big screen debut as special agent Valdez. John Malkovich is on villain duty as Sauvage, a megalomaniac who – surprise, surprise – wants to take over the world.

Director Peter “Sliding Doors” Howitt said: "We see the difference between how good English thinks he is and how good he really is”. We will have to wait to see whether English is as good as Powers.