Brad Bird says no to Star Wars

Brad Bird has become the latest filmmaker to take himself out of the running to direct the new Star Wars film.

Earlier this month it was announced that three new Stars Wars movies are in the pipeline after creator George Lucas sold his company to Disney in a £2.5 billion deal.

And sources claimed Lucasfilm approached three filmmakers - Brad, director of animation The Incredibles and Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, Star Trek's JJ Abrams and Lucas' long-term collaborator and friend Steven Spielberg.

Brad tweeted at the weekend in reply to a follower who asked him: "Tell me your next one is the new Star Wars!"

Brad wrote: "Nope. A science fiction film. Not Star Wars. That said, Michael Arndt is a fantastic writer and Kathy Kennedy is a brilliant producer. I will be first in line to see the new Star Wars."

Spielberg and Abrams have already distanced themselves from the rumours.

Spielberg told Access Hollywood: "It's not my genre. It's my best friend George's genre."

And Abrams told Entertainment Weekly: "I have some original stuff I am working on next."