Rumoured next James Bond director puts speculation to an emphatic end

The film, which stars Ralph Fiennes (who served as Bond's 'M' in Spectre and No Time to Die), is expected to be a major contender at the next awards season, which some had suggested put Berger in the running for the next Bond gig.

Alas, in an interview with Deadline, the filmmaker denied that such talk had any validity, while complimenting former Bond director Sam Mendes (Skyfall, Spectre) and longtime producer Barbara Broccoli.

"That’s an absolute rumour. There’s no truth to it whatsoever," he said of his supposed involvement with Bond 26. "I would be very grateful if you put out that fire."

On Mendes, Berger added: "He’s a great filmmaker. But Barbara Broccoli is a wonderful producer. She will know what to do at the right time, and it’s her family legacy.

"It's her job to protect this, and whatever choice she’s going to make is going to be the right choice for the legacy of that genre."

The Bond rumour mill exploded in March of this year, when it was widely reported that Aaron Taylor-Johnson (The Fall Guy) had shot to the top of Broccoli's casting wish list.

The actor, also known for Kick-Ass, Nocturnal Animals and Avengers: Age of Ultron, didn't address the rumours head-on, telling Esquire he was forging his "own path" and is focused on "what's in front" of him.

His wife, director Sam Taylor-Johnson (Back to Black), also avoided adding fuel to the fire, saying to Jonathan Ross that fans should "carry on speculating" but that Aaron would be a "great" choice.

Discussion about the Bond casting has died down in the months since, but it doesn't take much for a rumour to travel far – as this latest speculation around Berger has proven.

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