Steven Spielberg Shares His Multiple Rejections by the ‘James Bond’ Franchise

Steven Spielberg has directed some of the most cherished blockbusters in cinema history, spanning summer classics to iconic adventure franchises. Yet, despite his legendary career, there’s one iconic series that never allowed him the chance to direct, regardless of how many times he expressed interest.

That series is ‘James Bond’, and Spielberg recently discussed the persistence of his pursuit for the role. During an appearance on ‘The Rest Is Entertainment‘ podcast while promoting his new film ‘Disclosure Day,’ the director revisited a decades-long saga of rejection from the 007 franchise that he clearly hasn’t quite let go of.

Spielberg revealed that his fascination with Bond began when he saw ‘Dr. No’ as a young moviegoer. After ‘Jaws’ catapulted him into Hollywood stardom, he decided to make his move. He directly contacted longtime Bond producer Albert “Cubby” Broccoli after that success, offering himself for the role, only to be turned down outright.

That wasn’t Spielberg’s only attempt to break into the franchise. He explained that Broccoli reached out again a few years later after ‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind’ became a hit, this time requesting permission to use the film’s iconic five-note musical motif in ‘Moonraker.’ Spielberg attempted to leverage this request, offering the notes in exchange for a chance to direct, but Broccoli declined once more.

Despite relinquishing the rights to the five-note theme anyway, Spielberg never received a clear explanation for why Broccoli continuously shut him out of the Bond universe. He described the producers as having consistently turned him down without ever addressing his repeated attempts to join the franchise.

That closed door ultimately redirected Spielberg’s career in a different direction. He has mentioned that sharing his Bond frustrations with George Lucas in Hawaii in 1977, just before the release of the original ‘Star Wars,’ led Lucas to pitch him an alternative concept called “Indiana Smith.” This pitch eventually evolved into ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark,’ launching the Indiana Jones franchise and providing Spielberg with one of the most successful series of his career.

Reflecting on the entire experience today, Spielberg doesn’t seem to hold any lingering resentment. He even acknowledges that stepping away from the franchise allowed him to prioritize time with his family. However, when asked what he would say if Bond producers came calling now, his response was decidedly different from the eager young director who once sought the job.

His answer, simply put, was that they couldn’t afford him anymore. It’s a fitting punchline for a filmmaker whose career has long since surpassed any single franchise, even one as iconic as 007.

With Denis Villeneuve now set to direct the next chapter of the Bond franchise under Amazon MGM Studios, Spielberg’s story serves as a reminder of how different cinema history could have been had those early phone calls turned out differently.

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