Paul Feig is open to a 'Spy' sequel - but only if Jason Statham agrees to return.

The director of the hit 2015 comedy action flick - which sees CIA analyst Susan Cooper (Melissa McCarthy) become a field agent when she "volunteers to infiltrate an arms deal and stop a global catastrophe" - said it if any movie was going to "have a sequel, it'll probably be 'Spy'".

Paul - who previously said he "don't do sequels" because they are "hard" to do - told HeyUGuys: "I mean, if there was ever going to be another movie that'll have a sequel, it'll probably be 'Spy'.

"So, you know, never say never."

His 'Another Simple Favour' co-star Henry Golding reminded Paul that the "conscientious is that 'Spy' has to be remade', to which 'The Housemaid' actor replied: "I think it must - it seems to be, yeah, exactly."

After interviewer Freda Cooper said that a sequel can only be made on "one condition" - that Jason Statham will reprise his role as agent Rick Ford - Paul said: "There's no 'Spy' without Jason Statham, and I love him to death.

"He's the greatest."

His comments come as he released the new story for his 2018 thriller comedy 'A Simple Favour' - which follows a single mom called Stephanie Smothers (Anna Kendrick) and her friend Emily Nelson's (Blake Lively) husband Sean Townsend (Henry Golding) solve the mystery behind Emily's disappearance - and he thinks the franchise "could go on" as the ending of the sequel allows for a third movie to happen.

Asked if he would be open to a threequel, Paul admitted: "You know what, once you've pulled the band-aid off, you might as well keep going.

"I definitely think this franchise could go on [to do] another one.

"The door's slightly open."

Paul previously insisted he doesn't do sequels at the Deadline Contenders Television panel for the film because it is "hard" for audiences, who are "burned by a lot of sequels", to "answer that question" of "why do I need to see this?".