Spielberg Rejected by Bond Producer Gets Indiana Jones
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- Steven Spielberg approached Albert "Cubby" Broccoli after the 1975 release of Jaws and offered to direct a James Bond film, but Broccoli declined.
- Albert "Cubby" Broccoli later contacted Spielberg after the 1977 hit Close Encounters of the Third Kind to request the film’s five‑tone musical motif for the upcoming 1979 Bond film Moonraker.
- Steven Spielberg offered the use of the five‑tone motif in exchange for a chance to direct a Bond film, but Broccoli again refused, yet Spielberg still granted the motif.
- George Lucas responded to Spielberg’s recount of the Bond rejection by offering him the new “Indiana Smith” project, which became the Indiana Jones series.
- Steven Spielberg later said that if Bond producers asked him now, his answer would be “you can’t afford me,” implying his current market value.
Why it matters: The Bond franchise missed out on a director who would go on to create the multi‑billion‑dollar Indiana Jones series, while Spielberg secured a career‑defining franchise and now commands fees beyond the studios’ budget, underscoring the long‑term cost of his early refusals.
