STEVEN SPIELBERG was desperate to make a Bond movie

Undoubtedly one of the most influential film personalities in the history of film, Steven Spielberg is perhaps Hollywood's best known director and one of the wealthiest filmmakers in the world. But he was denied the role of directing a bond film. After directing Jaws and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, he had approached the producers of the Bond franchise asking them to give him a chance to direct a bond film. “I tried twice to get Cubby Broccoli to hire me to direct a Bond film. The first time I met him in person was after I'd done Duel (1971). I told him I wanted to do a Bond picture more than anything else in the world and he said, "We only hire British, experienced directors." So I failed in both categories,” says the award winning director.