Steven Spielberg confessed he was turned down to direct James Bond movies early in his career. The famed filmmaker dished out the details while appearing on the June 10 episode of The Rest Is Entertainment. Spielberg revealed that Bond film producer Albert R. Broccoli, nicknamed “Cubby,” rejected his offer to direct the Bond movies on more than one occasion.
What Steven Spielberg said about the early-career rejection
Steven Spielberg revealed on The Rest Is Entertainment’s latest episode that James Bond’s producers turned him down on several occasions. The 79-year-old auteur remarked, “I have regrets [that] they didn’t approach me to do a Bond film. I approached Cubby Broccoli after Jaws was a big hit. I’d always wanted to make a James Bond film from the day I saw Dr. No. So I called Cubby after Jaws and volunteered. I said, ‘If you need a director, I would love to direct one.’ And he said, ‘No,’ and he moved on.”
Continuing further, Spielberg revealed he crossed paths with Albert R. Broccoli again after his 1977 sci-fi thriller Close Encounters of the Third Kind was released and was a huge commercial success. “And Cubby called me a few years after Close Encounters and said, ‘We’d like to use the five notes in Moonraker,’” the veteran filmmaker dished.
The Jurassic Park maker explained how he tried to broker a deal with Broccoli and convince him to let him direct a Bond movie. Unfortunately, that did not materialize. Spielberg elucidated, “I said, ‘I’ll make you a deal. I’ll give you permission to use the five notes if you let me direct a Bond film.’ And he said, ‘No.’ But I gave him the five notes anyway. So they consistently turned me down. He never explained why he wasn’t letting me into the Bond family.”
Although Spielberg’s dream to direct a Bond movie did not come to life yet, it paved the way for him to direct the first four Indiana Jones movies. He shared that George Lucas told him that he had something “better than Bond” in store for him. Finally, the veteran filmmaker answered, “So if they ever asked me to make a Bond film now, my answer would be: ‘You can’t afford me.’”
