Skyfall`s Oscar snub is a great pity: Judi Dench

London: Veteran actress Judi Dench is saddened that the new James Bond blockbuster ‘Skyfall’ missed out on major nominations for the 2013 Academy Awards. The 78-year-old British actress, who plays spy chief M in the film, was surprised to learn that Sam Mendes was not recognised in the Best Director category and that her co-stars 007 Daniel Craig and movie villain Javier Bardem had been overlooked in the top acting nods, reported BBC online. "I`m very, very sorry that nothing has been recognised. That`s a great pity. I thought Sam Mendes directed it absolutely beautifully. It was a terrific film," she said. And Dench only hopes the Bond films have not been deliberately shut out in the main categories over the years because of their commercial success. Asked if she thought there was a bias against the superspy franchise, she added, "There may be. I don`t know. I hope not. I just think that all round it was really wonderfully directed and presented and filmed and lit and shot." ‘Skyfall’ did not get left out completely, Adele`s theme tune landed a nod for Best Song, while the film also scored well with technical nominations for production, cinematography, sound editing and mixing. PTI