Drive Director Turned Down for Doctor Who Gig, But Nicolas Winding Refn Has Yet To Make His Mind Up About Drive Sequel

[BC Blog Poster]

Linda Ge writes for Bleeding Cool.

Nicolas Winding Refn has been riding a groundswell of rave reviews and fanboy adoration in the wake of of Drive, but not everything has gone perfectly.

In a new interview, the bluntly honest Danish director had no qualms about revealing that he's taken jobs for reasons other than artistic integrity:

I did two episodes of Marple back to back because, basically, I needed the money. It was fun - a good experience. I really liked working with Geraldine McEwan, she was a great actress. And Amanda Burton, too.

And as for a British TV gig that he really did want but was turned down for, direct your torches and pitchforks in the direction of producer Steven Moffat:

I would have loved to direct Doctor Who but they didn?t want me - they turned me down last year.

To counter your heartbreak of being denied a Refn-helmed Doctor Who, he lit the flame of hope in fanboys' hearts by not discounting the possibility of a Drive sequel, which is ready as a novel to being released in the spring:

Well I think that... hmm. Let me just say that I haven?t made up my mind yet. Stranger things have happened...

Check out Shortlist for the rest of the interview, which began with Refn bemoaning that he was sick of talking about Drive. Well, then. Hey, Moffat, how about giving the guy some Doctor Who experience to talk about instead?

[Harley Quinn Romance]

maybe moffat was afraid refn would do to amy pond what he did to the redhead in drive

[thekeith82]

What was the issue, then? Cost?

[toodoor]

What was the issue, then? Cost?

They probably already had directors sorted. Sounds like he just enquired out of interest.

[Pete Wisdom]

maybe moffat was afraid refn would do to amy pond what he did to the redhead in drive

What, direct her?

[Victorian Squid]

I think Drive is very overrated, which isn't to say I think it's a lousy movie or anything.

[bomaya]

Moffat has taste. Drive is a terrible movie.

[Jimvanhise]

Drive did not do very well in spite of a wildly misleading advertising campaign from the studio presenting Drive as an action movie instead of the dark, violent film noir it actually is. A sequel would be avoided by all the people who felt burned by the first film.

[B-Thom]

I loved Drive, I'd be very curious to see him direct an episode of Doctor Who. It'd probably have quite a lot of interesting surprises.

[Crichton]

Drive sucked. It was sooooo slow and boring.