Steven Spielberg has made sharks terrifying, dinosaurs majestic, aliens lovable and terrifying and archaeologists somehow hotter than they had any right to be. But there is one famous franchise he never got to add to his filmography, despite trying more than once: James Bond. Turns out, he was turned down by 007 producers, and he still has a bit of snark when he recalls the experience.
While appearing on The Rest Is Entertainment podcast to discuss his 2026 movie calendar release, Disclosure Day, the Oscar-winning director opened up about wanting to direct a Bond film early in his career. The subject came up while Spielberg was answering listener questions, and he explained that he still has some feelings about never getting invited into the 007 universe. As he put it:
