To be a lone filmmaker thousands of miles from home with nobody believing in me, that seems romantic.

It's hard to get a movie made about characters these days. We're in a climate where, unless it's based on a toy or it's a superhero where somewhere it ends in man - like Spider-Man, Superman or Iron Man - it's hard to get it made.

I go into a movie sort of saying what it's not going to be.

There are actors who just bring an enormous amount of empathy. They just have that"it" that makes you want to follow them and root for them.

When I was shooting 'The Bourne Identity,' I had a mantra: 'How come you never see James Bond pay a phone bill?' It sounds trite, but it became the foundation of that franchise.

I live in New York City, and I'm making huge action movies. The people that make huge action movies live in L.A., and they're surrounded by other people who make huge action movies. I'm surrounded by people making documentaries!

If I'm not in love with the script, there's nothing. It doesn't matter what you give me. It has to start with the script.