Woody Allen has denied he is retiring days after he appeared to confirm he would stop making films.
The award-winning director, 86, is working on his 50th film and told a Spanish newspaper that it would be his last.
“My idea, in principle, is not to make more movies and focus on writing these stories and, well, now I’m thinking more of a novel,” he said in an interview published in La Vanguardia on Saturday.
His comments were widely taken to mean he would stop directing films after wrapping up production on Wasp 22, which is set in Paris.
Allen has now denied that is what he meant.
His spokesman said: “Woody Allen never said he was retiring, nor did he say he was writing another novel.
“He said he was thinking about not making films, as making films that go straight or very quickly to streaming platforms is not so enjoyable for him, as he is a great lover of the cinema experience.”
Allen “has no intention of retiring” at present, he added, and is focused on his upcoming film.
The writer, actor, comedian and director is best known for films such as Annie Hall, Manhattan and Midnight In Paris and has won four Oscars.
Allen has previously been the subject of controversy over the nature of his relationship with Soon-Yi Previn, his wife.
Ms Previn is the adopted daughter of the musician Andrei Previn and actress Mia Farrow, who had a 12-year relationship with Allen.
The MeToo movement brought focus on the pair, who are believed to have married when Ms Previn was 26 and Allen was 61.
It also focused on allegations that Allen had sexually assaulted his adopted step-daughter Dylan Farrow, who wrote a personal essay for The New York Times in 2014.
Allen has denied the claims involving Ms Farrow, first made in 1993, and has never been arrested or prosecuted.