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Steven Spielberg’s Unfulfilled Bond AmbitionSteven Spielberg told listeners of The Rest Is Entertainment podcast that the producers of the James Bond series turned him down twice, and that today the franchise could not afford his fee.Two Rejections by Cubby Broccoli in the Late 1970s1975: After the blockbuster success of Jaws, Spielberg called legendary Bond producer Cubby Broccoli and volunteered to direct a 007 film. Broccoli declined.1977: Following the hit Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Broccoli approached Spielberg to license the film’s distinctive five‑tone musical motif for the upcoming Bond entry Moonraker. Spielberg offered the theme in exchange for a directing slot; Broccoli again said “no.”The Five‑Note Theme Deal That Never MaterialisedDespite the second refusal, Spielberg granted Broccoli permission to use the five‑note theme in Moonraker, a gesture that underscored his willingness to collaborate but also highlighted the missed opportunity for a Spielberg‑directed Bond.How the Bond Snub Shaped Spielberg’s Career PathThe rejection narrative directly fed into Spielberg’s next breakthrough. While discussing the Bond rebuff with George Lucas during the release of Star Wars, Lucas offered Spielberg a new project, describing it as “Indiana Smith” – later known as Indiana Jones. This pivot led to the creation of the iconic adventure franchise.What a Spielberg‑Directed Bond Could Mean for Modern FranchisesSpielberg concluded that if the Bond producers ever approached him again, his answer would be, “you can’t afford me.” His comment reflects both the inflated budgets of contemporary franchise filmmaking and the lasting impact of his early career decisions on Hollywood’s blockbuster landscape.

The Early Years of Bond Games James Bond finally arrived in an official video game capacity in 1984, courtesy of Parker Brothers. The game, titled James Bond 007, grouped several 007 adventures together, including Diamonds Are Forever, The Spy Who Loved Me, Moonraker, and For Your Eyes Only. Despite including elements from each movie, it was essentially the same game throughout: an unsatisfying and tricky mashup of the arcade games Moon Patrol and Scramble, with the player controlling Bond's amphibious Lotus from The Spy Who Loved Me. A View to a Kill: The Computer Game (1985) The 14th James Bond movie, and Roger Moore's last in the role, became the source for British publisher Domark's ambitious first collaboration with the spy series. A View To a Kill features three diverse levels – a Paris car chase, a city hall fire, and a Silicon Valley mine – that reflect important scenes from the film. Despite replicating the famous opening sequence and music, the game was hampered by technical issues and almost bankrupted its publisher. The Progression of Bond Games Live and Let Die (1988): Originally known as Aquablast, this game's similarity to the speedboat sections of Roger Moore's Bond debut led Domark to purchase it from rival publisher Elite Systems. Licence to Kill (1989): Improved things further, presenting multiple scenarios from the film, including Bond's death-defying capture of the drug lord's plane. Q's Armoury (1989): A quickly compiled lightgun game with little connection to the movies. The Impact of 16-Bit Computers With 16-bit computers now established, developers could include realistic cutscenes, ensuring greater relevance to the source material. For example, complete The Spy Who Loved Me on the Commodore Amiga or Atari ST, and you're 'rewarded' with an image of Bond in bed with Russian spy Anya Amasova. Modern Bond Games GoldenEye 007 (1997): A landmark title that set the standard for future Bond games. 007 James Bond: The Stealth Affair (1990): A point-and-click homage to Bond with a puzzling shift from MI6 to the CIA.