There's no point in making a film out of a great book. The book's already great. What's the point?

It's nice to work with Hollywood because there is never any question of resources put at your disposal to make a film as long as it is the right thing to do.

I can't do a film if I don't start with the writing.

Films have gotten leaner and leaner, cutting out all variations from the story line.

For me now, it's about what you would write and what you wouldn't write, and that's how I select what I am going to do. It can be quite nice being brought a concept by a studio for me to work on.

But everyone gets burnt, don't they? Certain things are outside of your control. I suppose the only thing you can learn as a director is to not put yourself into situations where it can get outside of your control. And that's what happened.

If movies have to satisfy every possible quadrant before they're even made, they're dull. You only get great things when people overreach themselves.