James Bond dances with the dead

Are you ready for James Bond?

Director Sam Mendes has released a new vlog for the upcoming Spectre to give a glimpse of what we can expect from the movie, which opens here Nov 6.

“I wanted the audience to be dropped right into the middle of a very, very specific, very heady, rich environment," said the British film-maker, who took full advantage of the ghoulishly beautiful annual fantasia known as Mexico City’s Día de los Muertos or Day of the Dead.

"It’s the Day of the Dead, everywhere you look there’s colour and detail and life. We’ve built floats and maquettes, the costumes are extraordinary and the craftsmanship is amazing.”

Judging from the sheer scale of the opening scene, the 24th 007 film will certainly be a spectacle.

The two-minute video also features interviews with the film’s costume designer and hair and makeup supervisors, sharing the process that transformed each extra -- all 1,500 of them! -- using intricate make-up and different, custom-made wardrobes created by the costume department over the course of six months.

The story revolves around a cryptic message from Bond's (Daniel Craig) past which sends him on a trail to uncover the sinister organisation named SPECTRE, led by the mysterious Franz Oberhauser (Christoph Waltz).

Spectre also stars Monica Bellucci, Dave Bautista, Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris and Ben Whishaw.