Ang Lee, Christopher Nolan and Nicolas Winding Refn are among other leading directors rumoured to have been approached.

BBC: Sam Mendes back in talks with Bond producers

The director, Nicolas Winding Refn, prefers the glow of neon, stop signs, and the pools of light that leak through a garage.

NEWYORKER: Road Kill

Nicolas Winding Refn, from Denmark, was named best director after overseeing "The Drive, " about the life of a Hollywood stunt driver played by Ryan Gosling.

CNN: STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Director Nicolas Winding Refn won the Best Director award at the Cannes Film Festival and critics lauded the film with a 93 out of 100 on Rotten Tomatoes.

FORBES: George Clooney and Ryan Gosling: Two Odd Movie Stars

Only God Forgives, which reunites Drive star Ryan Gosling and director Nicolas Winding Refn will be in competition this year alongside Steven Soderbergh's Liberace biopic, Roman Polanski's Venus In Fur and Inside Llewyn Davis by the Coen brothers.

BBC: Nicole Kidman and Ang Lee join Cannes jury