Steven Spielberg has revealed that he always wanted to direct a James Bond film but was repeatedly turned down.
Speaking on The Rest Is Entertainment podcast, the Disclosure Day director said he approached late Bond producer Albert 'Cubby' Broccoli after the success of Jaws to offer his services.
'I have regrets that they didn't approach me to direct a Bond film,' Spielberg said. 'I approached Cubby after Jaws was a big hit. I'd always wanted to make a James Bond film from the day I saw Dr. No, so I called Cubby Broccoli after Jaws and volunteered. I said, "If you need a director, I would love to direct one." And he said no and he moved on.'
Steven Spielberg got rejected from the James Bond franchise so many times in his life that if they asked him to make one now, he'd say 'you can't afford me'
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"I approached [the Bond producers] after 'Jaws' was a big hit. I’d always wanted to make a James Bond film from the day I… pic.twitter.com/Bbsncu1eO9
The award-winning director then revealed that Broccoli later contacted him and asked to use a five-note musical motif from his 1977 sci-fi classic Close Encounters of the Third Kind in Moonraker, the Bond film released in 1979.
'Cubby called me again after Close Encounters came out and that was a big hit ... and said, we'd like to use the five notes in Moonraker. And I said, "I'll make you a deal. I'll give you permission to use the five notes if you let me direct a Bond film." And he said no. But I gave him the five notes anyway,' Spielberg said.
'They consistently turned me down. He never explained why he wasn't letting me into the Bond family,' the director added.
From Bond Rejection to 'Indiana Jones' Legacy
Despite missing out on the 007 franchise, the rejection ultimately led Spielberg toward another defining project.
'When I told that story to George Lucas in 1977, when we were in Hawaii together getting ready for the release of Star Wars: A New Hope, he said, "I have something better than Bond. It's called Indiana Smith," which is what it was called at the time. He told me the premise of the Indiana Jones series, and that's how I got that job,' Spielberg said.
Spielberg went on to direct four Indiana Jones movies, beginning with Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), followed by Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984), Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008).
Spielberg said that if he were asked to direct a Bond film today, his answer would be: 'You can't afford me.'
The 79-year-old filmmaker is one of Hollywood's most successful directors and has won three Academy Awards. His credits include Jaws, Jurassic Park, Ready Player One, West Side Story, and The Fabelmans.
Steven Spielberg's 'Disclosure Day'
Spielberg's latest film, Disclosure Day, is one of the most-talked-about films of 2026, receiving positive reviews from critics.
'At the core of Disclosure Day is the question: Where has all our empathy gone? Would an actual disclosure day reunite what's divided, or begin to repair what's broken in this siphoning away of empathy? And I think that was the personal link for me. There's more focus in this story on human connection than even the eventual and hopeful connection between an off-world civilization and the human species,' Spielberg said.
Disclosure Day stars Emily Blunt, Colman Domingo, Josh O'Connor, Colin Firth, Wyatt Russell, and Eve Hewson.
