Steven Spielberg once tried to direct a James Bond movie, but the franchise turned him down twice.
The filmmaker recalled the missed 007 opportunity during an appearance on The Rest Is Entertainment podcast. People reported that Spielberg first reached out to longtime Bond producer Albert “Cubby” Broccoli after Jaws became a blockbuster in 1975.
Broccoli said no. Spielberg tried again after Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and the answer did not change.
The rejection did not end Spielberg’s interest in globe-trotting adventure. He later told George Lucas he wanted to make a Bond movie, and Lucas offered him an idea he described as “better than Bond.” That project became Raiders of the Lost Ark.
Spielberg Asked for Bond After Jaws
Jaws made Spielberg one of Hollywood’s defining young directors, but it did not get him into the Bond franchise. According to People, Spielberg said he contacted Broccoli after the film’s success and offered to direct a 007 movie.
Broccoli turned him down. Spielberg did not describe receiving a clear explanation, only that the answer was no.
At the time, the Bond franchise was still in its Roger Moore era. The Spy Who Loved Me arrived in 1977, followed by Moonraker in 1979.
The Second Rejection Came After Close Encounters
Spielberg tried again after Close Encounters of the Third Kind, his 1977 science-fiction hit. The Guardian reported that Broccoli later asked to use the movie’s famous five-note musical motif in Moonraker.
Spielberg said he agreed to let Bond use the music, but he hoped the favor would finally lead to a directing job on the franchise. Broccoli still refused.
The filmmaker said the Bond team never told him why he was not allowed to direct one of the films.
George Lucas Offered Him Indiana Jones Instead
The Bond rejection became part of the origin story for Indiana Jones. Spielberg said he told Lucas that he wanted to direct a Bond movie, and Lucas replied that he had something better.
The idea was first called Indiana Smith before becoming Indiana Jones. Spielberg directed Raiders of the Lost Ark, Lucas produced it, and Harrison Ford starred as the archaeologist-adventurer.
The first film arrived in 1981 and launched one of Spielberg’s biggest franchises. Instead of making a Bond entry, he helped build a separate adventure series with its own iconography: the hat, the whip, the relics, the traps, and the old-fashioned serial-movie pace.
Spielberg Says Bond Cannot Afford Him Now
Spielberg joked that his answer would be different if Bond called today. People reported that he said he would now tell the franchise, “You can’t afford me.”
The comment lands decades after a career that went on to include E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Jurassic Park, Schindler’s List, Saving Private Ryan, Minority Report, Lincoln, and The Fabelmans.
The Bond franchise is entering another reset without him. Amazon MGM Studios announced in 2025 that Denis Villeneuve will direct the next James Bond film, with Amy Pascal and David Heyman producing. Amazon MGM later announced that Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight will write the script. No new Bond actor has been officially announced.
Spielberg never got his 007 movie. The no from Bond sent him toward Lucas, Harrison Ford, and Raiders of the Lost Ark.