The filmmaker chose Barcelona as the setting for his Oscar-winning 2008 film, and now locals are in talks to create a permanent exhibition dedicated to the New York-born director's life and career.

Currently titled the Woody Allen Project, organisers are eyeing La Llotja, a 17th-century building, to house the museum, and the plans are being backed by Spanish businessman Jaume Roures, who produced three of Allen's films including Vicky Cristina Barcelona.

Officials at Barcelona City Hall have yet to approve the proposals, but if they do, the museum could take two years to complete, according to Spanish newspaper The Local.

A bronze, life-size statue of Allen was previously erected in the northern city of Oviedo, where he filmed parts of Vicky Cristina Barcelona.