Steven Spielberg, one of Hollywood's most celebrated directors, has revealed that he pitched himself to helm a James Bond film not once but multiple times, and was turned down every single time. The rejections came at the peak of his early powers, when two back-to-back cinematic earthquakes had already proven he could fill seats like no one else in Hollywood. Yet somehow, the most coveted spy franchise in history kept its door firmly, almost bafflingly, shut.

While James Bond's gatekeepers remained unconvinced, Spielberg's ambitions were quietly outgrowing the very franchise he had been chasing.

Steven Spielberg was turned down by Albert Romolo Broccoli at least twice, first after Jaws in 1975, and again following Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Both were seismic box office moments that redefined what a blockbuster could be. Broccoli, fiercely protective of the James Bond franchise's British identity, was not persuaded by American pedigree, however golden, he shared on Michael Ball's BBC Radio 2 show.

And now, the director revisited the chapter with characteristic wit during his appearance on 20h30 le dimanche on France 2 on Sunday, June 7, 2026, where, when asked whether he would have liked to direct a James Bond film, Spielberg said, "They had their shot with me."

Had Broccoli said yes, Spielberg would likely have directed The Spy Who Loved Me or Moonraker, two Roger Moore entries from 1977 and 1979, respectively. The irony is delicious: The Spy Who Loved Me featured a man-eating shark and a villain literally named Jaws, an unmistakable nod to Spielberg's own film. Instead of directing James Bond, Spielberg channelled every ounce of that ambition into a beach conversation with George Lucas, which produced something far bigger.

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While James Bond's door stayed firmly shut, George Lucas handed Steven Spielberg a whip, a fedora, and arguably the better franchise entirely.

That beach conversation in Hawaii, where George Lucas pitched a whip-cracking archaeologist fighting Nazis, gave birth to Indiana Jones, a franchise that out-grossed its James Bond competition at the very same 1981 box office. Raiders of the Lost Ark earned $212 million domestically against For Your Eyes Only's $55 million. Steven Spielberg's financial acumen matched his creative instincts, backend deals, producing credits through Amblin Entertainment, and a legendary Universal theme park revenue agreement collectively built a net worth Forbes estimates at $7.1 billion.

Beyond Indiana Jones, Spielberg produced Back to the Future, Men in Black, and Jurassic Park, the last of which reportedly earned him $250 million alone through backend participation. A famously shrewd swap with Lucas gave him a percentage of Star Wars earnings despite having no directing role in it. In 2026, Spielberg completed his EGOT. James Bond's loss, it turned out, was everyone else's extraordinary gain.

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What are your thoughts on Steven Spielberg's rejected James Bond pitches and the franchise that rose in its place? Let us know in the comments.