Steven Spielberg was repeatedly rejected from directing James Bond films

Renowned director Steven Spielberg has opened up about his repeated, unsuccessful attempts to secure a spot behind the camera for a James Bond film.

Spielberg was particularly drawn to directing Moonraker. He expressed a desire to helm the franchise following the monumental box-office success of his blockbuster Jaws. However, Bond producer Cubby Broccoli turned him down on that occasion, and a similar rejection followed after the release of Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

“They consistently turned me down—or at least, Broccoli did. He never really explained why he wouldn’t welcome me into the Bond family,”

— Spielberg recalled on the podcast The Rest is Entertainment. The situation ultimately took a different turn thanks to his close friend, George Lucas, who pitched him the idea for Indiana Jones (which was then titled Indiana Smith).

“He told me all about the premise for the Indiana Jones franchise, and that is how I landed that project. So, if anyone were to ask me to direct a Bond film now, my answer would be: ‘I’m too expensive for you,‘”

— Spielberg remarked. Another major franchise that could have been under his direction was Warner Bros.’ Harry Potter, but the filmmaker ultimately decided to step away to focus on raising his children.

Spielberg’s latest project, the sci-fi thriller The Dish (or Disclosure Day), premieres in theaters worldwide this week, having already earned glowing reviews from critics.

Meanwhile, the upcoming 26th installment in the Bond franchise is set to be directed by Denis Villeneuve (Dune), with distribution handled by Amazon MGM Studios. The identity of the actor slated to play the next Agent 007 remains a closely guarded secret.

Source: Film.ru