British jazz singer Amy Winehouse, who is known internationally more for her drug problems and wild antics -- in my five seconds of research, I see that she apparently heckled Bono while he was giving a speech, which makes me think she's good people -- has reportedly been offered the chance to sing the theme song for the new James Bond film. If British rag The Sun is to be believed, the producers of Quantum of Solace have gotten themselves involved in Winehouse's personal drama by offering the singer the theme song on the condition that she get herself clean and sober by April. "That's when the Bond people make a final decision on who sings the theme," the source said. "If Amy is clean then, it's hers." I don't know who this source is -- craft services guy, maybe -- but I also wouldn't put it past the crafty Bond producers to try to stir the media into a frenzy by putting Winehouse on the payroll in such a manner. For his part, Daniel Craig has already commented on this whole drama, saying "It's just way, way off that. Everyone's speculating about it but we've got other things to deal with -- there's no point in writing the song for a movie when we haven't got a movie." Yikes.

In other Bond news, there isn't any, really, but Craig did get into another tiff with journalists over his reputation for being difficult when it comes to press, which I didn't know he had. I met Craig during the junket for Casino Royale and found him to be as warm and as forthcoming as you could expect. On that so-called reputation, Craig says "I don't think it's true, it's just lazy journalism; they want to paint me as someone difficult. I think I'm quite nice, but maybe I'm delusional. There's no point in doing Bond if you're not going to sell it."

[via MI6]

So much for my belief that St. Trinian's is the best cast movie in production right now. The film, which began shooting in March with top-notch British talents like Emily Watson, Colin Firth and Rupert Everett, has just added a young, American actress to sour up the mix. According to Variety, in a report from Cannes, Mischa Barton has joined the cast, which also includes Brits Toby Jones, Lena Headey, Stephen Fry, Celia Imrie, Anna Chancellor, Lucy Punch, Fenella Woolgar and possibly (still rumored, and not actually British) Richard E. Grant. To quote my favorite Sesame Street game: "One of these things is not like the other."

Hopefully Barton will simply be playing the bland girl from the States who happens to be studying at an English girls' school, and will not be expected to pull off an accent. Either way, she'll at least make the elder cast appear even greater. The former O.C. actress joins rising stars Jodie Whittaker (Venus), model Lily Cole, Talulah Riley (Pride & Prejudice), Tamsin Egerton (Driving Lessons), Juno Temple (Notes on a Scandal), Gemma Arterton and possibly (still rumored) singer Amy Winehouse, all of whom presumably play students at St. Trinian's, which they save from going bankrupt. St. Trinian's still seems to be, as Cinematical writer Monika Bartyzel called it, "a British film fan's wet dream," but thanks to the casting of Barton, the dream has gotten a little bit drier.

The problem with every Bond Girl rumor that pops up from now until "Bond 22" goes into production is that none will be as exciting or hopeful as last week's Carice van Houten rumor. Certainly this week's mention is not even close to as good. According to the UK's News of the World (via IGN, via WENN), singer Amy Winehouse has been offered a part in the next 007 film, which will be released in November of next year. The report doesn't specify that she is being sought as a love interest for Bond (Daniel Craig), or as a Bond Girl at all, but the anonymous source claims that producer Barbara Broccoli, who loves Winehouse's album, "Back to Black", thinks the singer embodies that "retro glamour" of the old Bond films.

The first tip that this rumor doesn't hold up is that since Casino Royale, the Bond films don't seem to be looking for any embodiment of the original films. Rather they are now focused on the modern and real world. And never mind the fact that Winehouse doesn't have movie acting experience (she is also rumored to be cast in St. Trinian's, though), I honestly don't agree with Broccoli's supposed statement in the least. There is nothing about Winehouse, in fact, that I would imagine suitable for the part of a Bond Girl. What may have happened, and what has likely been confused for this rumor, is that Broccoli mentioned she'd like Winehouse to sing the next Bond theme. That would definitely make more sense. The '60s style of the title track from "Back to Black" is perfect for Bond, if the producers want a return to that beloved Shirley Bassey sound. Of course, it would be interesting if the theme were sung by someone appearing in the film, but alas I don't believe this will be the case.