preview for Christopher Nolan on Harry Styles's performance in Dunkirk

Christopher Nolan is widely accepted as one of the greatest directors of his generation – his latest film is Dunkirk, a Second World War epic with a huge ensemble which opens in cinemas later this week.

Chatting to Digital Spy to promote his new movie we got talking about Bond – Nolan has frequently mentioned his love for the franchise, and recent rumours suggested he could be in the frame for Bond 25.

But while he clearly wouldn't mind taking it on it sounds like right now, that won't be on the cards.

Daniel Craig James Bondpinterest
Eon

Related: Which Bond movie is best? The definitive 007 film ranking – from awful to awesome

"I love the character, I love the films, I've been very inspired by the films as anyone who's seen my films will find embarrassingly obvious," he said.

"But you'd only take on a franchise like that if you could bring something completely new to it, if that were needed. And I think at the moment they're doing fantastically well without me.

dunkirk, fionn whiteheadpinterest
Warner Bros.

Nolan is known for his ability to re-invent cinema – with his Batman movies he re-invented the comic book film (and Nolan says he loved what DC did with Wonder Woman), with Inception, he re-invented the blockbuster, and with Dunkirk he's re-inventing the war film.

With rumour that Daniel Craig might be tempted back for another outing as 007, it sounds as if a Nolan-directed James Bond might just have to wait.

Dunkirk opens in cinemas on July 21.

preview for Dunkirk trailer 2 (Official Main Trailer)

Want up-to-the-minute entertainment news and features? Just hit 'Like' on our Digital Spy Facebook page and 'Follow' on our @digitalspy Twitter account and you're all set.