James Bond film to arrive week early

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The movie studio behind the upcoming James Bond film, "Quantum of Solace," has moved the British release date forward by one week to October 31, a spokesman for Columbia Pictures said on Wednesday.

The movie, which stars Daniel Craig as agent 007, remains scheduled to open in North America and much of the rest of the world on November 7.

"Quantum of Solace" is the 22nd film in the long-running movie franchise based on the books by author Ian Fleming about a secret agent who saves the world from villains and almost always gets the girl in the end.

The most recent Bond flick, 2006's "Casino Royale," marked the first time actor Craig took on the role of Bond. It sold $594 million (299 million pounds) in tickets worldwide.

(Editing by Steve Gorman and Todd Eastham)