James Bond producers have refused to confirm reports that Pierce Brosnan will return to play 007 in the next movie in the series, Casino Royale.

Dame Judi Dench – who played Bond’s boss M in the last four films – said Brosnan would reprise the role, the Mirror newspaper reported.

A spokesperson for production company Eon said: “No cast members, locations or release dates can be confirmed.”

Spokesmen for Brosnan and Dame Judi were unavailable on Wednesday.

Wednesday’s Mirror quoted Dame Judi as saying: “Despite the fact that everyone on the face of the earth has been tested as his (Brosnan’s) possible replacement, he’ll be doing it again and it will be announced come summer.”

Goldeneye director Martin Campbell will start work on the next Bond film after making The Legend of Zorro, which is due to be released in October.

Casino Royale will be based on author Ian Fleming’s first James Bond book, following a 1967 spoof spy movie of the same name which starred the late David Niven.

Brosnan, who played the spy in four Bond films from 1995 to 2002, said last November that film-makers originally cast him in the next 007 movie but subsequently changed their minds.

He said he was “angry” at the decision but he also felt a “great sense of liberation”.

“I thought they did me a favour, really,” he said on BBC One’s Friday Night with Jonathan Ross. “Leave while you’re on top.”

Following his announcement numerous actors have been linked to the role, including Clive Owen, Jude Law, Hugh Jackman, Dougray Scott and Colin Salmon – who would become the first black actor to play Bond if selected.

Last month 37-year-old Enduring Love actor Daniel Craig was the latest to be linked to the 007 role in Casino Royale, which is due to be released in 2006.

If a new actor is selected, he will be the sixth official James Bond after Brosnan, Timothy Dalton, Roger Moore, George Lazenby and Sean Connery.