Why wasn’t Steven Spielberg allowed to direct a James Bond movie?
Steven Spielberg has repeatedly entered the history books not just for his incredible box office records but also because of the fascinating technical innovations behind his cinematic spectacles. As the creative vision behind gems such as Jurassic Park and Saving Private Ryan, among many others, Spielberg is the first name that people think of whenever the subject of big-budget, large-scale Hollywood magic is brought up.
Although Spielberg’s filmography is filled with one hit after another, the movie that truly set the ball rolling for the American director was the 1975 thriller Jaws. Battling through a particularly arduous production process and overcoming multiple obstacles, Spielberg turned a semi-hopeless project into an unprecedented success. It became the first proper summer blockbuster, influencing cinematic trends for years to come.
With a project like Jaws on your resumé, it is impossible to believe that prospective employers prevented Spielberg from doing anything he wanted. However, that’s exactly what happened to the burgeoning director. He went on to make another hugely profitable sci-fi film called Close Encounters of the Third Kind, but that was only because he was rejected by James Bond producers even though he wanted to sign onto the next Bond production.
During an interview with the BBC, Spielberg recalled: “I called Cubby Broccoli twice, and after Jaws, which was such a huge success, I thought, ‘Hey, people are giving me final cut now.’ So I called up Cubby and offered my services, but he didn’t think I was right for the part… Then, even after Close Encounters came out and was a big hit – once again – I tried to get on a Bond film, and now they can’t afford me. So Barbara, forget it.”
According to the Saving Private Ryan filmmaker, the James Bond producers lacked experience and rejected him on multiple occasions. He told The Hollywood Reporter: “Cubby replied that I was not experienced enough, but if we do a Bond movie on water, we might consider you! Cubby asked me permission to use the famous five musical notes in Close Encounters for Moonraker. I said sure, and by the way, do you have a slot for me for Bond, and he said, ‘No!'”.
It is difficult to imagine a version of Moonraker directed by Spielberg, especially since he never got the chance to enter the franchise. The 1979 project, which was criticised by many for deviating from frameworks of realism, could have been reworked by Spielberg, who has shown his mastery in crafting tense political thrillers on multiple occasions. Unfortunately, we will never know.
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