James Bond actor Daniel Craig arrived at the premiere of Spectre on Monday (26 October) as the excitement for the release of the 24th instalment in the British spy movie series hit fever pitch. There were reports some fans had camped out for days to get a look at the stars as they arrived for the event.

Craig was joined on the red carpet by co-stars Lea Seydoux and Monica Bellucci, as well as director Sam Mendes and other co-stars including Ralph Fiennes. Returning for the fourth time as famous MI6 agent 007, the 47-year-old said his own excitement at being allowed to continue in the series stemmed from his involvement beyond acting.

"I've just been allowed to be creatively involved with these films from the very beginning and I've continued to be allowed to do it with this, so thankfully we've just got the most amazing team around us and we figure it out," he said. "We've got one of the best directors there is and some of the best writers and that's what you do," he added.

Bellucci, who at 50 is the oldest Bond girl in the history of the franchise, said the appeal of James Bond could be summed up pretty easily. "It's magic," she said. "It's incredible how James Bond represents so much, not just in England but all over the world, so for me it was a great pleasure to have the chance to work with Sam Mendes, Daniel Craig and being part of this amazing tradition."

Spectre, released on 26 October, sees Academy Award-winning actor Christoph Waltz take on the role of Franz Oberhauser, the man behind the organisation called Spectre, an acronym which infamously denotes the Special Executive for Counter-intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion in previous films.

Asked about taking on an already well-known role - Oberhauser appeared in previous Bond movies including 1967's You Only Live Twice - Waltz joked that it was tough, but something he was prepared to live up to.

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