This is not the place to come for your Olympics-related updates — many, many sites will provide that need — which, really, means this anomaly can be blamed on Danny Boyle and James Bond. As the introduction only starts to play on my TV in the background, us Americans have been getting the first footage from this lavish, expensive, and elaborate production. Some of it’s truly stunning stuff — you get why the editing of Trance had to be put on hold for months and months — but what might be to your own interest was actually filmed weeks ago.

As you probably recall, Boyle was hired to direct Daniel Craig in a short where James Bond “gets a special assignment to kick-off the activities” — and that’s exactly what you’re getting here. There’s no action, but we get a little bit of humor and, thanks to our director & star, the kind of class Bond is known for. More than anything else, I take it as a little piece to enjoy before we get the 23rd feature installment this fall. But what better way to escort Her Majesty than with the help of 007?

Update: NBC is pulling the Olympic short off-line, but one can see a Skyfall TV spot below, featuring a new look at Javier Bardem. Also, a new trailer is landing tomorrow morning (7/31) but for now, we get a teaser for the teaser. See both below.

Bond will truly return when Skyfall opens in the U.K. on October 26th and in the U.S. on November 9th.

Were you amused by this short?