The Coen Brothers have quashed fans' hopes of a sequel to their hit comedy The Big Lebowski, insisting they have no plans to revive the movie.

The 1998 film, starring Jeff Bridges and John Goodman, rapidly became a cult favourite and even spawned its own annual festival, Lebowski Fest.

In 2011, another of the movie's stars, John Turturro, revealed he had an idea for a spin-off based on his character Jesus Quintana and last year (12), devotees' hopes were raised further by the publication of a hoax news story which suggested Bridges and Goodman had signed up for a sequel.

However, Ethan and Joel Coen, the film's writers/director, have now finally silenced rumours of a follow-up.

Speaking to a Toronto Star reporter at the Cannes Film Festival in France, Joel said, "I don't think it's going to happen. I just don’t like sequels."

His brother Ethan added, "John Turturro, who wants it, talks to us incessantly about doing a sequel about his character Jesus. He even has the story worked out, which he's pitched to us a few times, but I can't really remember it… No, I don't see it in our future."