Juliette Binoche turned down Steven Spielberg’s 'Jurassic Park', 'Indiana Jones' and 'Schindler’s List'
Juliette Binoche has revealed she had to turn down the chance to work with director Steven Spielberg on three different occasions.
The actor, who stars in Claire Denis’ latest film Both Sides Of The Blade, explained to Variety that she turned down roles in Jurassic Park, Schindler’s List and Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade due to scheduling conflicts.
“I don’t remember very well but Steven [Spielberg] reminded me,” Binoche said. “The first time was for Indiana Jones 3, because I was doing The Lovers On The Bridge with Leos Carax. The second time for Schindler’s List, I was pregnant, and then for the dinosaurs [Jurassic Park], I had already committed to Three Colors: Blue (Krzysztof Kielowski’s film).
“It would have been amusing to do Jurassic Park to see how [Spielberg] makes the film, but at the same time, Spielberg is more of a men’s director, like Scorsese actually.”
Binoche, however, is open to working with either Spielberg or Scorsese in the future. “Of course I would! Even if I find their approach to cinema to be very commercial, they have a fabulous technique which they own completely, and there’re storytellers. But their films lack women,” she added.
Back in 2016, Binoche discussed the lack of female leads in Scorsese and Spielberg’s work during a panel at the Cannes Film Festival.
Speaking about Scorsese (via the Guardian), Binoche said: “He has a very feminine side of himself. But for me, he doesn’t explore it [in his work].”
Binoche won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for The English Patient. She also received a nomination for Best Actress for her role in 2000’s Chocolat opposite Johnny Depp.
Scorsese’s next film is western crime drama Killers Of The Flower Moon, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Jesse Plemons, Lily Gladstone and Brendan Fraser. The film is scheduled to be released in November later this year.