Sean Connery for Bond Oscars tribute

London - Sir Sean Connery may join other James Bond actors in a tribute to the secret agent at the Oscars.

Academy bosses are hoping to coax the film legend out of retirement to join fellow 007 stars - including current Bond actor Daniel Craig, Sir Roger Moore, George Lazenby, Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan - on stage at next month's ceremony in a four-minute celebration to mark 50 years of the film franchise.

Landing the 82-year-old actor - who starred in the very first film featuring the suave MI6 agent, 1962's Dr. No - would be a major coup as he has previously turned down previous offers to unite the actors due to his 40-year feud with producers over his salary and treatment while making seven of the 23 Bond films.

Adele performance

The latest offer is said to be a "different proposition", with an Oscars insider told the Daily Mirror newspaper: "Sir Sean has been invited to take to the stage along with Daniel and the other 007s. As yet, we've not had a no from him. Normally he is quick to turn things down.

"Sean's relationship with the Oscars is good and we're hoping he'll appear. His issues with the Bond producers are not our business and we hope he will overlook that as we pay tribute to what he has done."

Producers are also planning to have singer Adele perform her hit song Skyfall - taken from the latest Bond film of the same name - at the 85th annual Academy Awards on 24 February.

Skyfall became the first film in the franchise's 50-year history to gross $1bn worldwide, and the song received a Best Original Song nod during the nominations announcement on Thursday.