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REUTERS (AP) - MGM/EON confirmed today that Daniel Craig, the actor hired to replace Pierce Brosnan as James Bond in this fall's feature Casino Royale, walked off the set after an argument with producers. The 38 year-old actor had apparently been upset at the ongoing problems he had encountered during filming, and became enraged when asked to perform a stunt that he found unacceptable.

"First I get my front teeth knocked out, then they insist I learn to drive a car with a manual transmission, and now this," stated Craig when asked to comment on the incident.

Producers would not comment on the incident, except to say that Craig was not asked to do anything that wasn't written in his original contract.

When asked for further comment, Craig replied, "They can't be serious. I knew that this was a James Bond film and that guns would be used, but I didn't know that I actually had to fire one. I mean, I know they're only loaded with blanks, but what if the shell casing ejected and hit me in the eye? I could go blind."

Producers wouldn't comment on whether Craig had left the film permanently or simply needed some time to calm down before returning to the set.

"At this time Mr. Craig has not contacted us nor has he returned to the set," stated an MGM/EON spokesperson.

Meanwhile, details have emerged that all of the bad publicity surrounding the film and its new star have led producers to consider offering the role to Brosnan for the next film. "We already have a rough draft of the screenplay for Bond 22," stated an MGM/EON spokesperson. "The story will be a first for the Bond series, as the primary villain will be a female. Her plans for world domination are to marry the world's wealthiest men, murder them, and then cripple the world's economy using their fortunes."

The film, tentatively titled Golddigger, will star Anna Nicole Smith as the female villain. No further details have yet been released.