# ‘Now they can’t afford me’: Steven Spielberg was turned down to direct Bond

> **Open Intelligence Dossier** · First detected: 2026-06-11 19:07 UTC · Category: Entertainment

## Executive Summary
Steven Spielberg reveals he was rejected twice from directing the James Bond film franchise.

## Intelligence Brief
Coverage from outlets including The Times, Variety, and The Guardian highlights the director's recent comments regarding these past rejections. Reports from Gizmodo, The Daily Beast, AV Club, and Yahoo emphasize his current stance that the franchise could no longer meet his requirements if they were to request his services today.


Future developments remain unclear as the franchise has not issued a statement regarding the claims. Coverage does not yet specify which production entities were responsible for the rejections.

## Multi-Source Evidence Table
| Source Outlet | Headline | Verification URL |
|---|---|---|
| The Times | Steven Spielberg: I asked to direct Bond. They turned me down… twice | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMilwFBVV95cUxPSG5KX2FlWjdnZnNONUMya1d1eUd3S3Q2T1ItYklJdGRXMEIzYTViZ0RPM1R4c0tMN1AwemJMbURzVnpsdTdJOWhSSXlfcVZrTzNOM2c3bE50NWdJeFkwOFpoZnRidnJKeTlmangyRUt3bEtjb2FuaTR6TG96ZWtHZkY5M1Zyck9MOW9udzRheE1WNXhMR2dn?oc=5) |
| Gizmodo | Steven Spielberg Doesn’t Need ‘James Bond’ Anymore | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMihAFBVV95cUxNdnJ4bWtPSDY3UnJKQkZnMW5SNlV4enlBenNnaUx6bUY2UzFmcnZibWg5M0VqaE5nc0UyTU51TWF2eEJ3M0NJSFBGS0R1a3pJUkFaZy1wVmtJZ2NNb3VZYXNLYVZ3RmdfOE1zUjdPUDhXaWVxTXV1OHJGeS01Z0UxU3hEeDc?oc=5) |
| The Daily Beast | Steven Spielberg Reveals He Was Repeatedly Rejected From Iconic Film Franchise | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirgFBVV95cUxPd1RjdU9TcDF1a18yc0tPRGpDQTVyWWc0UkZQV2VveXZqQ2gtMUFMejRMSzV0bjNhdFhMSlRQaGw5NzFEbUdKMkR2X3g0ZDg3bGpsMFRVdWVkOHFHTDVoWjJEbS1PSllqOHoxUG9ndlk3YlVSY0ZaZ1BBa0VkOWE4UGtqNE9mVFFzaU9XNFlVMTVBWGY4T242bHR5dXFmRjZsYjJuZVNfcUp5U2pGT3c?oc=5) |
| AV Club | Saucy minx Steven Spielberg makes sure Bond franchise knows it missed its shot with him | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMidkFVX3lxTE1uUXpSXzRyY2JHQWhXcU5ZUTd4WUF3cC1tY2JJV1pEWHQ5WUl3Qnk4THZsZWtyVUdpQ1FFNTNOYnUyRmFyNzgzaW9wTW9FdlR2NnRFVXFYaWd6WHJDZUdNd1I2V09kSW5CM1U2UkJEbnJLVUpKbUE?oc=5) |
| Yahoo | Steven Spielberg Got A Little Snarky About Getting Turned Down To Direct James Bond Back In The Day | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiowFBVV95cUxQbDVEQkJrSlNuZ1d4d0dHMkl2NWJCV0dnSjhNWVNTVjFEYW03Tk12X2F2SDZCTFpWUEZrTERLand1MTE3cXFtaDI0aVdMMmI0TUQwcC1oeVRQZVFtYTFtenJCOWRXdm02VUJDY3VIRzRZM2dQU2NzSWlrMW9BMnotdWJDUkUwT3A0V19oMF9BS1lEOE1IdDRfS2dFLV96Z3ljNE1B?oc=5) |
| Variety | 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’ | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMipgFBVV95cUxOdEpIS3JTbUp6aWUwa0FuS2VUdnM4ZjVDaHo4R3pyMzE2MXQyal8ySG5DQk0weVoyWHdGYjRzOGxJXy1wU1hyc3cwN2ptTVJjdVRGakluSG5UTzVwTWlfM0dUVXV2YVplNEEtX3dQMTNzclgwUGxBMkdocVlwTEVYeEw4RlJ6UjZOUGpPYmVFUm43dk1YTjBuaEZzQS1pdTV1bnd5RkxR?oc=5) |
| The Guardian | ‘Now they can’t afford me’: Steven Spielberg was turned down to direct Bond – twice | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitgFBVV95cUxPczI5Z3dQNWVsUUEwV21yYXlUR0J2Z2JzemlFWUZSbGIxTDJJUE1wcnNxbGtHY1RtbVlORWJWQ3YtTWdDNWQ0a3Rnb19nUTRCT1JfZFNzZUVtN2lBUGpTWF9YWVNxOVJEVnBBUkkzNk9FWXVYS3FIN2k0RjdCUWRXc1dGNlJZOHAwS3d3dGhlWlozUGdXdmRvX1pLODI3R3ZnNnlSZkNnbFVIWjZkS2JvVkpUbHNUZw?oc=5) |

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*Canonical Source: https://pulse.byoviral.com/trend/2026-06-11/now-they-can-t-afford-me-steven-spielberg-was-turned-down-to-direct-bond*