Daniel Craig, whose final outing as 007 was unveiled on Thursday, is the longest-serving James Bond -- but perhaps not always the most enthusiastic.

Cary Fukunaga, 41, replaces British director Danny Boyle, who pulled out of the as yet untitled film last month due to "creative differences".

Shinmoedake, in a mainly rural area about 985 km from Tokyo on the southernmost main island of Kyushu, had quietened down since the earlier eruption.

British actor Daniel Craig has confirmed he will reprise the role of James Bond one last time, ending months of speculation.

British actor Roger Moore, who won international fame playing secret agent James Bond, died on Tuesday aged 89, his family said on the actor's official Twitter account.

The inventor behind James Bond's ingenious gadgets, codenamed "Q" in the spy films, exists in reality and is actually a woman, the head of Britain's MI6 espionage agency has said.

The owner of Britain's Pinewood Studios, home of the world's most famous fictional special agent James Bond, is set to be sold to a real estate fund for £323mn ($423mn), it said on Thursday.