OSCAR winning director Danny Boyle has backed Robert Pattinson as the next James Bond.

The Radcliffe-born filmmaker had been in the directing chair for the upcoming Bond film but quit last year, blaming "creative differences".

Daniel Craig will reprise his role as 007 in that movie, however the spy's future is unclear.

And the former Thornleigh pupil believes Pattinson, who will be the next Batman, is the perfect fit.

He told the Guardian he saw the 33-year-old in Claire Denis's science fiction drama film High Life, adding: "And it was so bizarre, because I was sitting there thinking: 'Oh my God, they should get him to be the next Bond'."

Boyle walked out of the upcoming untitled Bond film in August last year.

He was working on a screenplay by John Hodge, who also worked on Trainspotting.

Boyle's latest film, Yesterday, is out now. He is pictured here at the Scottish premiere this week.