It would have been a disaster if the movie had not gone ahead

Equity chief Martin Brown

In September, Equity asked members not to accept any work from 1 December, with the exception of a handful of films for which special interim contracts have been established.

Martin Brown, chief of the actors union, told BBC News Online: "We are delighted with the deal with Eon (producers of the Bond movies).

"Bond movies are a big deal for the British film industry and it would have been a disaster if the movie had not gone ahead.

"They have agreed to pay a percentage of sales of DVD and video worldwide, after 30% of the film's cost has been recouped.

"We've always said we wanted a threshold to protect producers and this deal will give our actor's real money."

Proposal

The deal offered by the producers' association, Pact, offers a share of net profits on TV and DVDs in certain territories only, once certain thresholds have been met.

However Equity have dismissed the latest proposal.

Harry Potter sequel is going ahead

The latest James Bond film is reported to be titled Beyond the Ice and is expected to be released at the end of 2002, starring Pierce Brosnan, Dame Judi Dench and John Cleese.

Actress Halle Berry is tipped to star as the latest villainess.

Other films including the second Harry Potter movie have also signed up new deals, which means work can go on.

No movies have so far been prevented from starting work, but Equity are currently negotiating with a further 20 films in a bid to avert industrial action.