LONDON • Has Daniel Craig renewed his licence to kill?

According to The Independent, James Bond franchise producer Barbara Broccoli has "secured" the 49-year-old star to play the suave secret agent again - for the fifth time.

This despite the actor previously saying that he was done with portraying 007 after shooting the 2015 Bond film Spectre.

Speaking to Time Out London that year, he said: "I'd rather break this glass and slash my wrists. All I want to do is move on."

There were rumours last year that he had been offered US$150 million (S$207 million) by the producers to protect the lucrative franchise.

Talk swirled too that actors Idris Elba, Tom Hardy and James Norton had been shortlisted to play 007.

Broccoli is also reportedly trying to get Adele, who sang the theme song in Skyfall (2012) - the most profitable Bond film to date - to come on board the new movie. Her soulful rendition of the Skyfall song won an Oscar for Best Original Song.

There is no word yet on who would get the nod to direct the 25th film in the franchise. But Dark Knight director Christopher Nolan has admitted to his interest.

"I'm tempted to do a Bond movie, definitely," he was cited by Playboy magazine as saying. "I've spoken to the producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson over the years.

"I deeply love the character and I'm always excited to see what they do with it."

Pundits think that Nolan is likely to sign on only if he has the licence to reinterpret the Bond character with a new actor.