Steven Spielberg: I was once rejected for James Bond, but now they couldn't afford me

Steven Spielberg revealed that he had wanted to direct a James Bond film more than once, but was turned down every time.

It seems hard to believe these days that someone would turn down an offer from a three-time Oscar winner like Steven Spielberg. However, the legendary director admits that he tried unsuccessfully for years to become a part of the 007 franchise.

In an interview for the podcast The Rest Is Entertainment Spielberg was asked if he regretted never directing a film about James Bond.

„"My regret is not so much that I didn't direct Bond, but that I was never given the opportunity," he explains.

The director says that after the huge success of "„Jaws“" in 1975, he personally contacted the series' legendary producer, Albert "Cubby" Broccoli.

„"From the moment I looked"„Doctor No“", I dreamed of someday making a James Bond movie. After the success of "„Jaws“"I called Cubby Broccoli and told him that if he was looking for a director for the next film, I would be happy to take it. The short answer was no," Spielberg recalls.

A few years later, he made a second attempt. After the success of Close Encounters of the Third Kind in 1977, Broccoli contacted him on another occasion. The producer wanted permission to use the film's famous theme song in a scene from "„Moonraker“" (1979).

Spielberg decided to take advantage of the situation.

„"I told him, 'I'll give you permission to use the tune if you let me direct a Bond film.' And I was turned down again. In the end, I still gave him the rights to the music," the director says with a smile.

According to him, the rejections were constant and he never received a concrete explanation as to why he was not allowed into the world of Agent 007.

„"I was always turned down. Cubby never told me why he wouldn't accept me into the Bond family," he adds.

But fate had other plans. Shortly after, Spielberg shared the story with his close friend George Lucas while the two were vacationing in Hawaii in 1977, on the eve of the premiere of "„Star Wars“.

„When I told him how I got cut for Bond, he said, „I have something even better.“ The project was called „Indiana Smith“ back then. Then he told me the idea, and that’s how it all started,“ Spielberg recalls.

This meeting marked the beginning of one of the most successful adventure series in the history of cinema. Spielberg directed four Indiana Jones films, starting with "„The Raiders of the Lost Ark“" in 1981.

Today, decades later, the director looks at the situation with a sense of humor. Asked if he would accept to direct a Bond film if he received an offer now, he replied:

„"My answer would be, 'You can't afford me.'"„

Meanwhile, the next James Bond film already has a director chosen. Denis Villeneuve, known for his work on "„Dune“", which will be the first film in the series to be produced under the Amazon MGM Studios umbrella.

Spielberg's latest film – "„The Day of Truth“" – hits theaters on June 12.