London: Ace filmmaker Steven Spielberg has revealed that he was twice turned down as director for James Bond films.

Spielberg, whose Roald Dahl adaptation ‘the BFG’ is set to release in India on July 29, said he approached late James Bond producer Albert ‘Cubby’ Broccoli in 1975 after finding success with ‘Jaws’, but was turned down, reports independent.co.uk.

During an appearance on Michael Ball’s BBC Radio 2 show, Spielberg said: ‘I called Cubby Broccoli twice, and after ‘Jaws’ which was such a huge success, I thought ‘Hey people are giving me final cut now’. So I called up Cubby and offered my services but he didn’t think I was right for the part.

‘Then even after ‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind’ came out and was a big hit—once again—I tried to get on a Bond film and now they can’t afford me,’ he added.