Whitney Slinks Into Bond Girl Role

ByABC News
March 21, 2001, 2:26 PM

March 21 -- Tabloid favorite Whitney Houston is set to become the successor to sexy chicks Honey Rider, Mary Goodnight, Lupe Lamora, and yes, Pussy Galore, reportedly inking a deal to become the next Bond girl.

The pop singer has agreed to star opposite Pierce Brosnan in the next installment of the James Bond series, according to a report in Britain's Sun tabloid. However, final approval of Houston rests with Dana Broccoli, widow of famous Bond film producer Albert Broccoli, who has the last word on everything to do with the 007 franchise, the Sun notes.

Houston also starred in the 1992 blockbuster The Bodyguard, as well as 1995's Waiting to Exhale.

"The movie bosses think Whitney would make a fantastic Bond girl and are desperately working out a deal which will be acceptable," the Sun quoted an unidentified source as saying.

There is no word on whether Houston would be cast as a "good" Bond girl, along the lines of Daniela Bianchi (Tatyana Romanova in From Russia With Love) and Mie Hama (Kissy Suzuki in You Only Live Twice), or a "bad" Bond girl, as played by Grace Jones (May Day in 1985's A View to a Kill) and Famke Janssen (Xenia Onatopp in 1995's GoldenEye).

The paper reported that the still-untitled movie would begin shooting later this year, after the looming writers' and actors' strikes end.