Steven Spielberg has disclosed that he was turned down twice by the producers of the James Bond movies, and now he believes they cannot afford him. The legendary filmmaker made the comments during an appearance on The Rest Is Entertainment podcast, where he was asked if he had any regrets about not directing a 007 film.
Spielberg explained that he approached Albert 'Cubby' Broccoli, the iconic Bond producer who oversaw every official Bond film from Dr No in 1962 to License to Kill in 1989, after his 1975 shark thriller Jaws became a massive hit. 'I'd always wanted to make a James Bond film from the day I saw Dr No,' Spielberg said. 'So I called Cubby Broccoli after Jaws and I volunteered. I said, if you need a director, I would love to direct one. And he said, no. And he moved on.'
The second opportunity arose after the 1977 release of Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Broccoli contacted Spielberg to request permission to use the film's distinctive five-tone musical theme for the 1979 space thriller Moonraker. Spielberg tried to strike a deal: 'Cubby called me again after Close Encounters came out and that was a big hit … and said, we'd like to use the five notes in Moonraker. And 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, nope. But I gave him the five notes anyway.'
Spielberg noted that this rejection led directly to his work on Raiders of the Lost Ark. While discussing the Star Wars release with George Lucas, Spielberg recounted how Broccoli had turned him down. Lucas responded by offering him a new project. 'That's when George said, I have something better than Bond. It's called Indiana Smith, which is what it was called at the time. And he told me the premise of the Indiana Jones series. And that's how I got that job.'
Spielberg added that Broccoli never explained why he refused to let him direct a Bond film. However, he concluded, 'If they ever asked me to make a Bond film now, my answer would be: you can't afford me.'
