Steven Spielberg's failed bid to direct James Bond inspired Indiana Jones, leading to Harrison Ford, Sean Connery, and a blockbuster franchise.
For 60 years, audiences have laughed, gasped, and cheered at the adventures of Agent 007, James Bond. For almost as long, movie fans have been captivated by the work of Steven Spielberg, the director who thrilled generations with stories that changed cinema forever.
They're both pillars of Hollywood, but did you know that the filmmaker's love of the world-famous spy led him to create another movie legend — Indiana Jones? In a fascinating"sliding doors" moment, a young Spielberg used his rejection from the 007 franchise to create a globe-trotting hero of his own, and when viewed through that lens, the similarities between the franchises become obvious. Steven Spielberg Wanted to Make Bond — but was Turned Down!
From the earliest point in his career, Spielberg was a fan of the spy franchise and was keen to direct a new installment. However, while he would go on to be one of the most in-demand names in show business, at the time, he was seen as unqualified for the role.
"At one point, I went to one of the producers of James Bond, who I had a chance to have lunch with, and I said, 'I'd love to direct a Bond film'," Spielberg said during a junket interview for 1998's Saving Private Ryan. "They said: 'Well, you don't have enough experience for it - come back when you're older! '" He found an alternative who would become just as iconic, thanks to his old friend.
"I used to tease George Lucas, I'd say: 'You know, what I really aspire to do is direct Sean Connery as Bond,'" he recalled. "George, one day — this is before Star Wars came out - he said: 'I've got something bigger, I've got something called 'Raiders'. He told me the story of Indiana Jones as a character, and I said: 'That's close enough!
'" In 1981, the discussion became a reality with Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, one of the greatest blockbusters of all time. Directed by Spielberg from a story by Lucas, it would lead to a five-film franchise that would display artifacts of its original inspiration throughout. Related 6 Most Universally Beloved Adventure Movies of All Time, Ranked Adventure films everyone agrees on.
Posts 17 By Safwan Azeem James Bond Easter Eggs Can Be Found in Classic Indy Moments On paper, James Bond and Indiana Jones may not seem so similar — one is an English government agent with a license to kill, the other is a university lecturer with a fear of snakes. However, Harrison Ford's gruff-but-suave archaeologist mirrors 007 in several ways, both in theme and in homage.
Both men travel across the world after powerful MacGuffins that, in the wrong hands, can put the world at risk. Both are adventurous, daring men of action, sporting trademark weapons as they fight their way through elaborate lairs to stop evildoers. Both have big set pieces, adventurous cold opens, and their own theme music.
Indy is, arguably, an American answer to Bond, and it was never clearer than in the opening moments of 1984's Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Set in the luxurious Club Obi-Wan, Dr Jones arrives in a white dinner jacket with a red flower in his lapel, a not-so-subtle tribute to Connery's Bond in Goldfinger.
There, he enters a negotiation with gangsters involving a diamond, a poisoned drink, and a chaotic escape that would feel more than appropriate as the beginning of a Bond movie. However, Spielberg would go one step further in the third movie, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
Sean Connery was Cast as Indiana Jones' Father Having come to Indiana Jones through a desire to direct a Sean Connery Bond film, Spielberg would come full circle when the original 007 would be cast as Henry Jones, Sr, in 1989's Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. He played the estranged father of Ford's Indiana, with the two men's paths crossing in search of the fabled Holy Grail.
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While Lucas was the originator of the idea, Spielberg's vision of the Indiana Jones series is a product of the Sean Connery Bond era. Therefore, having Connery play the father of Indiana Jones feels especially fitting. Far from a mild-mannered sidekick, Henry would prove more than capable on his own, outwitting his son on more than one occasion. This may be the closest fans ever get to a team-up between the world's greatest spy and everyone's favorite archaeologist.
While it's tantalizing to imagine what the world of James Bond might look like through Steven Spielberg's eyes, that early rejection turned out to be a blessing both for him and for movies. The Indiana Jones films have delighted generations with their humor, heart, and spectacle, creating a space alongside MI6's finest in the pantheon of Hollywood icons.
Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark Like PG Action Adventure Release Date June 12, 1981 Runtime 115 minutes Director Steven Spielberg Writers Lawrence Kasdan, George Lucas, Philip Kaufman Cast Powered by Expand Collapse
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