Interstellar director Christopher Nolan says he would be 'afraid to touch' Star Wars 7

Christopher Nolan has said he would have been “afraid” to take the helm of Star Wars 7.

The Interstellar director said he is “very excited” to see how JJ Abrams treats the sequel but that he wouldn’t fancy being in the director’s shoes.

He told the Daily Beast: “As far as whether or not I would have ever done it, the truth is I think I'd be afraid to touch it! He’s boldly going where he went before in Star Trek, and it takes colossal balls.”

Despite receiving positive reviews across the broad for his own sci-fi epic, the acclaimed filmmaker said: “I’m a lot more comfortable trying to do my own thing than carrying the weight and expectation of the entire world - particularly 40-somethings like me who live and die with each new bit of information about Star Wars.

"But I’m very excited to see what he does.”

Nolan, whose past credits include The Dark Knight trilogy and Inception, also said that the James Bond franchise doesn’t need him “right now”, despite previous talks with producers.

But he said he loved the films: “They do a great job - they don’t need me right now, and Sam [Mendes] is an extraordinary talent. I will absolutely be first in line to see the next Bond film as I have been for all of them.”

Interstellar, starring Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, and Michael Caine, is currently in cinemas.