BRITISH actress Florence Pugh is poised to play Miss Moneypenny in a TV spin-off from Amazon’s takeover of the Bond franchise.
The show, titled The Moneypenny Diaries, is set to be the first of many dramas on boss Jeff Bezos’ Prime after the deal was struck this week, meaning Amazon has the creative rights to 007.
It is likely to be based on the books of the same name, which are set in the Fifties and the Sixties — meaning it could be a prequel to the movies.
Florence, 29, joins a list of actresses who have played the role of the MI6 secretary.
Lois Maxwell played the character from 1962 to 1985, opposite Sean Connery, George Lazenby and Roger Moore.
Caroline Bliss starred as M’s secretary when Timothy Dalton was Bond and Samantha Bond was Moneypenny with Pierce Brosnan.
Naomie Harris was most recently the secretary in Daniel Craig’s films.
The Moneypenny Diaries are a trilogy of novels and two short stories, published from 2005 to 2008 by Samantha Weinberg under the pseudonym Kate Westbrook, providing a backstory for the character.
A TV insider said: “Depending on your point of view, having the story of such a loved character played by a top British actress is either a dream combination or a nightmare.
“Many Bond fans fear that the Amazon deal will lead to the brand being diluted down with spin-off stories and prequels which diminish the purity of the British icon.
“The films portrayed a distinct version of 007 inspired by the character created by Ian Fleming 70 years ago. But this drama will most likely be based on a series only penned over the last two decades.
“Even more worrying is the fact that they actually feature Bond himself, which raises the prospect of there being multiple actors playing 007 in different films and shows.”
Playing Moneypenny is a plum role for Florence, who has starred in films Oppenheimer, Dune Part Two and Don’t Worry Darling.
Although she has large shoes to fill, the Oxford-born actress is more British than the woman best known for playing the role, Lois Maxwell.
Lois, who appeared in the first 14 films, was born and raised in Canada but went to drama school in London where she met Roger Moore.
Amazon were approached for comment.
