The director of two James Bond franchise films recalls the time Steven Spielberg convinced him he should make what proved to be a $250 million franchise film, even though he’d already turned the job down on three occasions. Martin Campbell became a sought-after action director thanks to his work on Goldeneye, the 1995 Pierce Brosnan Bond movie, which grossed $356 million worldwide.

Campbell would later go on to direct a second Bond film in Casino Royale, which was an even bigger hit, grossing $616 million (and rumors have him also directing the upcoming Bond 26). In between those two 007 movies, Campbell tackled a different action-packed genre film and its sequel, following up his Goldeneye success by working with producer Spielberg in bringing another iconic movie character back to screens.

Campbell Says He Turned Down The Mask Of Zorro Three Times Before Spielberg Talked Him Into It

The 1998 Movie Starred Antonio Banderas As The Famed Masked Swordsman

Masked crusader Zorro began as a literary creation, later becoming a beloved silent movie character thanks to Douglas Fairbanks, and in 1998’s The Mask of Zorro, a modern-day action hero as embodied by Antonio Banderas. Budgeted at $95 million, the Campbell-directed action film went on to become a surprise hit, grossing $250 million at the worldwide box office and spawning a 2005 sequel, The Legend of Zorro.

The Mask of Zorro indeed proved a boon to Campbell’s career, but the director says he initially turned down the movie, and would have continued turning it down had producer Spielberg not convinced him to change his mind (via Variety).

Campbell first talked about the movie’s original director, Robert Rodriguez, and why budgetary concerns cleared the way for someone else to direct Zorro:

The irony is I turned down “Zorro” three times. The reason was that Robert Rodriguez was originally going to direct that movie. He backed out because of budget reasons… I think he had a budget of $47 million, and he just said he didn’t have enough. And they asked me three times to do it, and I turned it down three times.

Campbell explains why he was reluctant to direct The Mask of Zorro, and says he still had misgivings after caving in and taking the gig, despite receiving flattery from Spielberg:

I didn’t like the script, even though the story was solid. Anyway, to cut a long story short, Steven Spielberg rang me and made me sound like the second coming, and I fell for it and I agreed to do it. And the night I actually accepted, I sat with my agent in a restaurant and my lawyer with my head in my hands saying, “This is the worst mistake I’ve ever made doing this movie. I should never have said yes.”

Campbell relates how the movie came together despite his concerns, thanks in large part to a new script:

Somehow we got other writers and so forth, but it was a movie that [TriStar Pictures’ then-president John] Calley, who took over from Mark Canton at the time halfway through pre-production, didn’t like the concept at all. He had a shopping list of why he didn’t want to do it because he had inherited it, and because he was my boss on “GoldenEye,” there was sort of radio silence for 10 days, and we got green lit.

Campbell wondered why Calley wanted to do the movie, and received an interesting explanation:

And I said to him, “Why the hell did you green light this movie?” And he said, “Well, even if it’s a dog, I can get $45 million foreign on this thing.” That was the conversation, and we went ahead and made it.

Our Take On Campbell Being Chosen To Direct The Mask Of Zorro

Campbell’s Film Showcased Antonio Banderas, And Broke Catherine Zeta-Jones Big

Campbell breathed new life into the Bond series with his Goldeneye direction, finding a solid blend of action and humor, and did the same kind of magic with the similarly-toned The Mask of Zorro. An old-fashioned adventure film, Zorro gave Banderas the perfect vehicle for showing off his good-humored charm, while providing Anthony Hopkins a fun, breezy role as Zorro’s mentor.

The movie’s big revelation, however, was Catherine Zeta-Jones, who became a star thanks to her spirited performance as Zorro’s sparring partner (and love interest) Elena. Spielberg was proven right in his instinct that Campbell was the correct director for Zorro, and everyone involved was lucky Rodriguez dropped the project, allowing Campbell to swing in and make an enjoyable, old-school swashbuckler.

On the evidence of films like Desperado and From Dusk Till Dawn, Rodriguez would have brought a much pulpier, more over-the-top feel to The Mask of Zorro. His version might have been interesting, but likely not as audience-pleasing – or financially successful – as the one ultimately made by Campbell, a straight-forward, competent action director in the old Hollywood mold.

Source: Variety