Amy director Asif Kapadia set to make Maradona documentary

He'll also work alongside Martin Scorsese on Rolls Royce drama Silver Ghost

Diego Maradona (Getty)

Documentarian Asif Kapadia has announced that his next film will focus on Argentinian footballing legend Diego Maradona.

The filmmaker behind acclaimed documentaries Senna and the Oscar-nominated Amy will be given unparalleled access to never-before-seen footage from Maradona's archive.

"I've long been a fan of Diego Maradona," Kapadia said. "I was fascinated by his journey, wherever he went there were moments of incredible brilliance and drama. He was a leader, taking his teams to the very top, but also many lows in his career.

"He was always the little guy fighting against the system... and he was willing to do anything, to use all of his cunning and intelligence to win."

The director revealed his desire to make a film about Maradona predated his 2010 documentary Senna which focused on the life and death of motor-racing champion Ayrton Senna.

"Diego is the greatest player of all time... His life was one of extremes but somehow, ever the street fighter, he has survived to tell the tale."

This isn't the only film Kapadia is attached to: he will be making his narrative feature debut with Silver Ghost, a Martin Scorsese-produced drama about the origins of the Rolls-Royce company.

Amy, his documentary about the late singer Amy Winehouse, won rave reviews when it was released last year and is the favourite to win Best Documentary Feature at next month's Academy Awards.