Steven Spielberg shares huge James Bond admission: 'I have regrets!'

The director explained his fascination with Bond dates back to seeing Dr. No as a young moviegoer.

"I approached Cubby Broccoli after Jaws was a big hit," Mr Spielberg revealed. "I'd always wanted to make a James Bond film from the day I saw Dr No.

“So I called Cubby after Jaws and volunteered. I said, 'If you need a director, I would love to direct one'. And he said, 'No', and he moved on."

Undeterred, Mr Spielberg made another attempt following the release of his 1977 sci-fi classic Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

After the film became a major success, Mr Broccoli approached Mr Spielberg with a request to use the movie's famous five-note musical motif in the Bond film Moonraker. Mr Spielberg saw an opportunity to finally secure his dream job.

"I said, 'I'll make you a deal. I'll give you permission to use the five notes if you let me direct a Bond film'. And he said, 'No'. But I gave him the five notes anyway," Mr Spielberg recalled.

"So, they consistently turned me down. He never explained why he wasn't letting me into the Bond family."

Ironically, those rejections would lead Mr Spielberg toward another cinematic adventure franchise that would define his career.

After sharing his Bond frustrations with friend and fellow filmmaker George Lucas, Mr Spielberg was introduced to an idea that would eventually become one of Hollywood's most beloved series.

"That's when George said, 'I have something better than Bond. It's called Indiana Smith'," Mr Spielberg said. "He told me the premise of the Indiana Jones series, and that's how I got that job."

The partnership between Mr Spielberg and Mr Lucas ultimately produced the hugely successful Indiana Jones franchise, beginning with Raiders of the Lost Ark in 1981.

Despite his long-standing ambition to direct Bond, Mr Spielberg now jokes that the opportunity has passed.

"If they ever asked me to make a Bond film now, my answer would be, 'You can't afford me'," he laughed.

In February last year, longtime producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson announced that Amazon MGM Studios would take over creative control of the franchise, with Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight writing the next instalment and Dune filmmaker Denis Villeneuve attached to direct.

With speculation continuing over who will replace Daniel Craig as 007, bookmakers believe the race remains wide open.

Lee Phelps, spokesperson for William Hill, said: "Callum Turner and Dua Lipa have both been touted as potentially playing a part in the next James Bond film, with the newlywed actor and singer among the favourites to play 007 and sing the opening theme tune respectively.