You hear stories about directors using manipulation to get actors to do certain things, but I think when you're working with professional actors, it's all about trust. They can do anything you want, it's just a matter of them understanding what you're looking for, and the reason why.

I only want to work with actors that really get it and make it work. I didn't want it to be a star-driven thing anymore.

Artist and illustrator R. Crumb did a whole illustration of Genesis. And he didn't go away from the text; he was totally truthful. Reading through that, I was like, "Oh, wow, it's a comic-book version of the Bible." There's a lot of heavy-duty stuff that goes on that doesn't make it into Sunday school.

Turning 30 was when my parents both got cancer and were fighting it and beat it, but their mortality started to get to me. Everything wasn't as hunky-dory like it was.

I think it's my nature to try and make original content, and that's what I've done, is just try and approach things in an original way, and do things differently.

My god is narrative filmmaking.

To me, watching a movie is like going to an amusement park. My worst fear is making a film that people don't think is a good ride.