The next instalment in the Bond franchise will be announced this coming Thursday.

Bond 24 will see Daniel Craig, Ralph Fiennes and Ben Whishaw return as well as newcomer Lea Seydoux joining the cast.

It's also understood that the rumoured villains - Christoph Waltz and Dave Bautista - will also be officially confirmed on the day.

Sam Mendes signed on to direct a second Bond film after the runaway success of 2012's Skyfall, which saw Adele receive an Oscar for Best Song.

Initial thoughts? Christoph Waltz, as we've said, is a perfect choice to play a Bond villain and Dave Bautista has proven himself to be an effective physical actor. We loved him in Guardians of the Galaxy.

We'll be following the story on Thursday so check back then!