The parents of Madeleine McCann are considering giving the go-ahead to a film about their missing daughter following an approach by a major entertainment firm.

The couple’s spokesman, Clarence Mitchell, confirmed that a meeting with the agency IMG took place last month but he added that Gerry and Kate McCann did not attend and nothing has yet been agreed.

It is believed that IMG, the firm behind the award-winning drama-documentary Touching The Void, made the initial approach.

A resulting meeting in mid-December discussed the possibility of making the story of Madeleine - who vanished from her family’s Praia da Luz holiday apartment in May - into either a film or a TV drama.

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Mr Mitchell said a film would be considered only if the McCanns believed it would help raise awareness of the case or if it could help fund the search for the missing four-year-old.

The spokesman would not speculate on whether Gerry and Kate would play themselves in any movie or whether their roles would be played by celebrity actors.

Mr Mitchell said: “While it may be hugely entertaining and a bit of fun to think of cast lists, we are a million miles away from that sort of thing."

The possibility of a film or television project is expected to be discussed further when directors of the Madeleine Fund meet later this week.

Mr and Mrs McCann were aware of the meeting but did not attend in person. Instead, Mr Mitchell and another representative of the McCanns met IMG at the firm’s London offices.

Mr Mitchell said it was just one of many approaches that have been made by media companies.

He said: “We have only had one very tentative discussion with IMG. It may or may not happen.

“If we feel any particular proposal in the media has validity in helping us find Madeleine, we are happy to discuss it.”

He added: “The media are making money out of the situation themselves and we feel it is only fair and right that some aspect of that should come to the fund to help find Madeleine.

“In this case we have had one meeting before Christmas. It was between myself, one other person and representatives from IMG.”

Mr Mitchell said Mr and Mrs McCann are routinely made aware of all proposals that could help raise the profile of the search for their missing daughter or raise funds to assist in finding her.

But he stressed that nothing had been agreed with IMG. There are no plans for any further meetings at this stage. The ball is in our court to see if we want to go forward.”

Last year, Ben Affleck postponed indefinitely the release of Gone Baby Gone, his first movie as a director, due to similarities between the McCann case and his fictional tale of Amanda McCready, a four-year-old who is kidnapped from her bed after her parents leave her by herself.

The actress who plays the missing girl in the film bears a close resemblance to Madeleine McCann, and also shares her first name.

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