Nicolas Winding Refn's made a career out of making visually striking and deeply violent films.

Drive, Only God Forgives, Pusher and Valhalla Rising all carried Refn's trademarks and, looking back, it's clear that this would have fit beautifully over the newer version of Bond. That's what Eon Productions had in mind when they contacted Refn and offered him the directing gig for Spectre.

Of course, Refn turned it down and made specific points about franchise films not being his bag. Instead, he's more concerned with making his own films in his own, unique way.  "I just know this way I can do whatever I want, and that outweighs any money anyone can give me," said Refn in an interview with The Telegraph.

Refn's currently working on his own version of a Bond film with Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, two long-term Bond screenwriters. The Avenging Silence, as it's called, will be set in Tokyo, but doesn't have a firm release date or anything in the way of casting.

Let's not forget that Nicolas Winding Refn's pretty good at having his name attached to really cool films and said films never materialising. There was the Logan's Run remake with Ryan Gosling that had everyone - ourselves included - all worked up over and that never came to pass. Not only that, Refn just recently confirmed that there won't be a Drive sequel - something that was originally mooted back when the first one did all sorts of box-office business.

In other words, take his not-Bond movie with a pinch of salt - because it sounds too good to be true, quite honestly.

 

Via Telegraph