Alfonso Cuaron says he almost directed a James Bond film

Director Alfonso Cuaron arrives at the red carpet for a special screening of the series “Disclaimer” at Morelia Film Festival, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024, in Morelia, Mexico.
| Photo Credit: BERENICE BAUTISTA

Oscar winner Alfonso Cuaron says he was once offered to direct a James Bond film, but he decided to turn it down as he was “troubled about the idea of doing it”.

While Cuaron didn’t reveal which Bond film he was supposed to direct, he said he eventually passed over the project after a dinner with fellow filmmaker Joel Coen.

“Ages ago I was offered a ‘Bond’ film. And I said, ‘Yeah, cool. Maybe Bond. I am going to do one.’ And then when the process started and I was going to shoot all the dialogue and stuff, there was a (separate) team doing all the action scenes. It kind of felt very weird. I was troubled about the idea of doing it,” the Mexican filmmaker said during a session at the ongoing Marrakech International Film Festival.

Cuaron, known for hits such as Y Tu Mama Tambien, Gravity, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and Roma, recalled taking Coen’s advice on the Bond film.

“I had dinner with Joel Coen, and I said, ‘Joel, what do you think of Bond?’ And he said, ‘Oh cool, I enjoy Bond.’ I said, ‘Would you do a Bond film?’”

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According to the director, Coen replied: “It probably falls into the category of a film I want to watch but not do.” Cuaron then said he learned the lesson that there are “some films I prefer to watch and not do”.

The filmmaker also spoke about directing Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004), when he had not even read the books penned by JK Rowling on which the popular fantasy film franchise was based.

“I had written Children of Men (2006) that nobody wanted to do. I was unemployed. I was going to have a child. This film was offered to me, and I didn’t want to do it because I didn’t know anything about ‘Harry Potter’.” After he read the books, he said to himself: “There is something good here! I will give it a try.”

And Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, the third film in the eight-part franchise, went on to become “the best” filmmaking experience.

“I learned like crazy. It was a crash course in visual effects. It was a really pleasant experience,” he added.

Cuaron’s latest work is the Apple TV+ thriller series Disclaimer, starring Leila George, Cate Blanchett and Louis Partridge.