Film star Jude Law has been narrowly picked as British film fans' choice to replace Pierce Brosnan as the new James Bond.

The star took 28% of the votes in a poll by magazine Total Film.

His biggest rival was Scottish Trainspotting star Ewan McGregor, who got 26%.

Christian Bale, star of Empire Of The Sun and American Psycho, took third place with 24% support.

Brosnan has said yes to a fifth Bond role

Law, 30, is best known for his roles in The Talented Mr Ripley and Steven Spielberg's AI.

Hugh Grant got only two per cent of the votes.

Pierce Brosnan has already committed himself to his fifth Bond film, the follow-up to last year's Die Another Day.

But he has said he may be too old to film a sixth.

"It takes stamina to play this role. I would like to get off the stage with grace," he said last year.

The next 007?

Robbie Williams (above) Russell Crowe Christian Bale Clive Owen Gerard Butler Richard Blackwood

The list of actors and celebrities linked with Brosnan's job is a long one.

They range from Russell Crowe to singer Robbie Williams.

New Zealander Crowe was reported to be the choice of former Bond director John Glen.

Robbie Williams said he relished the chance to take up the role, even spoofing the character in the video for his single Millennium.

But casting director Debbie McWilliams said: "Robbie Williams, bless him, I don't think is quite what we're looking for."

Comedian Richard Blackwood even offered his services as the franchise's first black James Bond.

Gruffudd 'too young'

In 2001 Scottish actor Gerard Butler, who appeared in Wes Craven's Dracula 2000, was tipped for the role by the Daily Record newspaper, while English star Clive Owen, who was recently in Gosford Park and The Bourne Identity, has also been tipped to be Brosnan's replacement.

Welshman Ioan Gruffudd, however, ruled himself out of the running last year when he said he was "too young".

The poll also shows Star Wars' domination of film charts in the past may have ended.

Nearly two-thirds of voters chose the Lord Of The Rings films over George Lucas' Star Wars trilogies.

Nearly two-thirds also thought Lucas should stop making Star Wars films with Episode III, which is released in 2005.