Steven Spielberg Reveals James Bond Franchise Repeatedly Rejected Him As Director

Steven Spielberg disclosed on The Rest Is Entertainment podcast that James Bond producers “constantly turned me down” despite multiple attempts to direct a film in the franchise. After Jaws became a blockbuster, Spielberg personally approached producer Cubby Broccoli, volunteering to direct, but was rejected. Years later, when Broccoli wanted to use the five-note melody from Close Encounters Of The Third Kind in Moonraker, Spielberg offered a deal: use the notes in exchange for directing a Bond film. Broccoli again said no, though Spielberg gave permission anyway. “He never explained why he wasn’t letting me into the Bond family,” Spielberg said. When he shared this rejection with George Lucas in 1977, Lucas pitched Indiana Smith, which became the Indiana Jones franchise. Now, if asked to direct Bond, Spielberg says his answer would be: “You can’t afford me.”