Veteran British director Mike Leigh has said it is "very likely" that his forthcoming film, "Tender Loving Care," will be his last, citing the toll of myositis, an autoimmune disease that attacks the muscles and has significantly affected his mobility. The 83-year-old, whose six-decade career includes a Palme d'Or, a Golden Lion and multiple BAFTAs, made the comments at a Golden Globes-hosted event in London, marking a likely end to one of independent cinema's most celebrated bodies of work.

"Tender Loving Care" is a comedy drama starring Leigh's longtime partner Marion Bailey alongside Paul Jesson, Kate O'Flynn and Alice Bailey Johnson, with plot details kept under wraps beyond it being described as an exploration of the contemporary world. The film has recently been added to the Toronto Film Festival lineup and will be distributed by Bleecker Street in the US and StudioCanal in the UK, as with Leigh's previous film, "Hard Truths." Leigh noted that filming was made possible with considerable help from collaborators, and suggested a stage play would now be too physically demanding, given that filmmaking allows him to be "moved around" on set. A retirement would close the chapter on a filmography including "Naked," "Secrets & Lies," "Happy-Go-Lucky," "Another Year" and "Mr. Turner."