Steven Spielberg Says James Bond Movies ‘Constantly Turned Me Down’ and ‘If They Asked Me Now’ to Direct the Answer Would Be: ‘You Can’t Afford Me’

Steven Spielberg stated on the "The Rest Is Entertainment" podcast that he was repeatedly rejected when he attempted to direct a James Bond film. Spielberg made a direct appeal to franchise producer Cubby Broccoli following the immense success of his 1975 film "Jaws," but his offer was declined. He also mentioned that he approached Broccoli again after directing "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" in 1982, but was again turned down. Spielberg expressed that if he were asked to direct a James Bond movie now, his response would be "You can't afford me," indicating his current directorial fees would be prohibitive. He did not specify which Bond films he was interested in directing or the exact years of his subsequent attempts after "E.T."