Skyfall
Daniel Craig sports a grizzled, bearded look as James Bond in the first official image released from Bond 23 - Skyfall Eon productions

The first official image of Daniel Craig in the new James Bond film Skyfall has been released.

The 23rd Bond film in the series will see American Beauty director Sam Mendes bring his own style to the Bond saga, which was reinvigorated with the success of gritty reboot Casino Royale.

The tepid response to sequel Quantum of Solace has piled the pressure on the next in the series, which will see Judi Dench return as M, alongside new cast members Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris and Javier Bardem in trhe role of the villain.

Plot details are thin on the ground, with an unspecified attack on MI6 testing Bond's loyalties to the limit. The colourful computer screens on the image released suggest the rumours of a technological attack might be true, with Skyfall denoting some form of computer virus. Craig's unkempt facial hair suggests Bond might have gone rogue.

The film is set for release in October.