Tarantino's Bond blast

Quentin Tarantino has hit out at James Bond bosses for ditching Pierce Brosnan from the role of 007.

The cult filmmaker said he had been "desperate" to remake Ian Fleming's original novel Casino Royale with Brosnan. But as soon as he heard other actors - including Closer star Clive Owen - were being lined up for the part, he abandoned the project. "I would have liked to do Casino Royale with Pierce," said Tarantino at the Empire Film Awards in Guildhall. "But once I heard Brosnan isn't going to be doing any more Bond films, that killed it as far as I was concerned.

"He's really proven himself to me as the James Bond for this generation. He can really pull off that Sixties thing that Casino Royale would have. It should be more like the original book." Tarantino, 41, director of Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs, who was named icon of the decade, added: "If they are going to do the book I can't imagine why they won't hire me since I like it so much." But Tarantino - who pledged to make "at least 15 more kick-ass films" - said he hoped to cast 51-year-old Brosnan in a film soon.

Bourne Supremacy star Matt Damon was named best international actor. Freddie Highmore, 12, was best newcomer for his role in Finding Neverland as the boy who inspired J M Barrie to write Peter Pan. "It's really special because I'm a child, so I didn't expect to win," he said.

More than 12,000 Empire magazine readers voted in the only major industry awards where winners are picked by the public.

Kate Winslet won best British actress for Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind. Zombie comedy Shaun Of The Dead was best British film and model Claudia Schiffer's husband Matthew Vaughn was given the best British director honour for London gangster movie Layer Cake.