Steven Spielberg is undoubtedly one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. The filmmaker has captivated audiences for over five decades with his entertaining and deeply impactful stories along with introducing hit franchises like Indiana Jones and Jurassic Park. However, despite his illustrious career, there’s one coveted project he has been unable to tackle, a James Bond film.
Multiple iterations of the character have been brought to the screen by several filmmakers and actors throughout the years. Although Spielberg expressed interest in making a film with a beloved character, his offers were met with rejection from the franchise’s producers.
Steven Spielberg Faced Rejections From the James Bond Producer
Steven Spielberg has shared that he is a “huge [James] Bond fan.” And during a conversation on Michael Ball’s BBC Radio 2, the filmmaker revealed that he even approached the franchise’s producer to direct a James Bond film.
He shared that after Jaws became a huge hit, he reached out to producer Albert R. Broccoli and expressed his desire to direct a James Bond film. However, his offer was turned down with Broccoli telling him that he was not “right for the part.” Spielberg recalled,
I called Cubby Broccoli twice, and after Jaws which was such a huge phenomenal success, I thought, ‘Hey people are giving me final cut now. They’re offering me all kinds of movies and the first movie I wanted to make was a Bond film—But he didn’t think I was right for the part.”
However, it was not the only time he approached and got rejected. The filmmaker once again offered to direct a Bond film following the release of his 1977 sci-fi drama Close Encounters of the Third Kind. But was rejected once again.
Steven Spielberg Claimed James Bond Producers Can’t Afford Him Anymore
Steven Spielberg’s 1977 sci-fi drama Close Encounters of the Third Kind was a huge hit, grossing over $300 million on an estimated budget of $20 million. And the film’s success prompted him to once again extend his offer to direct a James Bond movie.
But the producers rejected his offer once again, arguing that he was still not ready to helm a James Bond film. He shared,
“I twice tried to get on a Bond film and even after Close Encounters [of the Third Kind] came out and was a big hit, once again, I tried to get on a Bond film, didn’t think I was ready for the part.”
When asked if he would accept such an offer now, the Oscar-winning filmmaker argued that the franchise cannot afford him anymore. “Now they can’t afford me,” he said. However, he did share who he would like to see as the British spy after Daniel Craig. “Idris [Elba] would be my first choice,” he said.
While the Luthor star has been in talks to be the next James Bond alongside the likes of Henry Cavill, Tom Hardy, and others, the role has reportedly been offered to the 33-year-old actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson for the future installments in the franchise.
