James L. Brooks is "sure" Jack Nicholson will work again.

The One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest star hasn't appeared on screen since he starred in the writer-and-director's 2010 movie How Do You Know with Reese Witherspoon and Paul Rudd, but the filmmaker is hopeful they will work together again in the future.

James confirmed he is "very much in contact" with the 88-year-old acting legend.

He added to E! News: "I'm sure he'll be working again. I hope it's with me."

James didn't approach Jack to star in his new movie Ella McCay but that was due to the storyline.

He said: "There's no part in this film for anybody like Jack."

James has previously expressed his hope that Jack - who has made occasional appearances on his daughter Lorraine Nicholson's Instagram account in recent times - will have a desire to act again.

He told People magazine in 2023: "I keep on thinking he's going to get itchy and scratch it. My theory is it's not his last movie.

"That's what I'm hoping for. He's the man...

"I am in love with the guy. America's in love with the guy. He's a lovable guy."

Meanwhile, earlier this year Danny DeVito revealed The Shining actor is doing "great".

Speaking to People to mark the 50th anniversary of the iconic movie One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Danny said: "I just saw Jack a couple of weeks ago - it was his birthday a month ago, and he's great."

The 80-year-old actor maintained a close bond with Jack after One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest as they appeared in a number of movies together and recalled how he was impressed with the star's grounded attitude when they first met even though his star in Hollywood was rising at the time.

DeVito said: "There was no need for an icebreaker. He was immediately just so embracing... He started out exactly the way everybody else did, where he couldn't get a job. It was like he came to Hollywood and he was just going to write and direct, and then Easy Rider comes along after the (Roger) Corman stuff... So he was in our milieu, and he was always just as open and genuine, and we all felt it immediately.

"Of course, he was doing it because he's that way, and he was also doing it because that had to be, because we had to be all joined at the hip in that movie, and we had such great performances."

Danny explained that his bond with Jack extends back to their childhood roots.

He said: "He and I have a little history, because we were born in the same hospital in New Jersey."

The Matilda actor remembered how his sisters worked in the same hair salon as Jack's older sister.

"When I was a kid, I always heard about this really handsome guy from Neptune who went out to California and became a movie star."