If You Can Stop Sam Mendes! Drive Director Nicolas Winding Refn For Next James Bond Movie?

Nicolas Winding Refn has prompted speculation that he could direct the new James Bond movie.

The film-maker, who has recently directed Drive and Only God Forgives with Ryan Gosling in lead roles, was coy on the matter when asked by FirstShowing.net at the Cannes Film Festival.

The site claims to have been tipped off on the possibility of Refn taking the job by a “trustworthy source”, and when asked about it, he seemed to dodge giving concrete answers.

“Where did you hear that?”, he asked suspiciously, before adding: “I love Bond… I love him.”

The director then gives a coy smile when it is suggested that we will all just have to wait for confirmation.

The Wrap’s Jeff Sneider has also added to the rumours, writing on Twitter: “Nicolas Winding Refn makes moves about men of action & few words. James Bond is cut from that mold. Refn may not get it but he’s in the mix.”

Only God Forgives was allegedly booed during one screening in Cannes, during its more shockingly violent scenes.

Christopher Nolan, Danny Boyle and JA Bayona have also been tipped to helm the follow-up to last year’s Skyfall, after Sam Mendes suggested that he would be unlikely to return to the franchise. However, new reports state he is having a re-think and could return once more.

Skyfall became the most financially successful instalment in the series to date, and by far the most critically-acclaimed offering from 007 in recent years.