Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY
While Steven Spielberg has directed some of the most iconic films in Hollywood history, a James Bond movie is not among them. And that wasn’t for lack of trying on Spielberg’s part.
During a recent interview while on his press tour for Disclosure Day, Steven Spielberg revealed that he repeatedly tried to get a crack at the Bond franchise, starting with a personal appeal to legendary producer Cubby Broccoli after Jaws essentially invented blockbusters in 1975.
Legendary director Steven Spielberg says he was “consistently” turned down by James Bond producers when he’d ask to make a 007 movie
Despite Spielberg’s proven track record of success and promise as a filmmaker, Broccoli said no.
“I approached [Bond producers] 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 after Jaws and volunteered. I said, ‘If you need a director, I would love to direct one.’ And they said no… they consistently turned me down [and] never explained why they weren’t letting me into the Bond family,” Spielberg explained on The Rest is Entertainment podcast.
“If they ever asked me to make a Bond film now, my answer would be: ‘You can’t afford me.’”
For the upcoming 26th Bond film, Amazon MGM Studios, the new stewards of the franchise, landed a director who is about as close to Spielberg as you can get in modern Hollywood, as Dune filmmaker Denis Villeneuve has been tapped to helm the film.
“Some of my earliest movie-going memories are connected to 007. I grew up watching James Bond films with my father, ever since Dr. No with Sean Connery. I’m a die-hard Bond fan. To me, he’s sacred territory. I intend to honor the tradition and open the path for many new missions to come. This is a massive responsibility, but also, incredibly exciting for me and a huge honor. Amy, David, and I are absolutely thrilled to bring him back to the screen,” Villeneuve said when he was announced as the film’s director.
Spielberg’s new film Disclosure Day is being hailed as another classic entry in the sci-fi genre from the iconic Oscar-winning director, as it currently has an 82% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, with some reviews calling his best movie in a couple decades.
Hitting theaters on Friday, June 12, Disclosure Day stars Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, Colin Firth, Eve Hewson, and Colman Domingo. You can check out the official trailer for the film below.