Director Christopher Nolan says the James Bond movies had a strong influence on his new movie Inception.

The sci-fi thriller, which stars Leonardo DiCaprio, had its UK premiere in London on Thursday night. It follows a team of thieves who steal secrets from other people's dreams.

"The Bond influence on the film was very intentional because, for me, growing up with the Bond films – they've always stood for grand-scale action," said Nolan, who also directed The Dark Knight and Batman Begins.

Critics have praised the film's blend of mind-bending action sequences and emotional punch. Some have hailed it as Nolan's "masterpiece".

Like the Bond films, Inception was shot in various locations around the globe including Morocco, France, Japan and Canada.

The cast includes Michael Caine, Ellen Page, Cillian Murphy and Marion Cotillard.

Plot secrets

Nolan said the Bond films had always "stood for the promise of being taken to some place bigger than you could have imagined".

He added: "In dealing with the human mind and dreams, my mind naturally gravitates towards the Bond films as that sort of expression of cinematic potential.

"By the end of the film you feel that Inception could go anywhere and do anything."

Nolan kept a veil of secrecy around the plot of Inception while it was being shot last year.

"We like to keep the experience fresh for the audience, so we don't send out scripts willy-nilly. We keep things a little close to the chest," he said.

Nolan was non-committal when asked if he would now be turning his attention to a third Batman film and a new Superman project.

"I'm first going to be turning my attention to having a holiday, because I've just finished the film and I need a couple of weeks off.

"And then I'm going to figure out what's next and what we'll be doing in that direction," he said.

Inception is released in the UK on 16 July.