Doug Liman quotes

Doug Liman is an American film director and producer, known for his dynamic style and action-packed movies. His work includes box office hits such as "The Bourne Identity," "Mr. & Mrs. Smith," and "Edge of Tomorrow." He continues to influence Hollywood with his innovative storytelling and creative vision. Here are 26 of his quotes:

What I really found was that the one similarity between Covert Affairs and Fair Game is a deep love and admiration and fascination with the home life of a spy. (Doug Liman)
To be a lone filmmaker thousands of miles from home with nobody believing in me, that seems romantic. View quote
Doug Liman
I'm very interested in politics, and I feel TV is a more political medium than film. View quote
Doug Liman
That's why 'The Bourne Identity' has that sort of shaky style, because for the most part, Matt Damon and I were sneaking around Paris and shooting where we didn't have permits. View quote
Doug Liman
It's no secret that my process is a little bit loose and can be a little bit infuriating to a studio if they don't know what they're signing up for. View quote
Doug Liman
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. View quote
Doug Liman
I had just come off doing a lot of commercials when I did Go, so a part of the fast pace and efficiency comes from the discipline I had to learn from telling stories in 25-second increments, and that type of discipline is insane. View quote
Doug Liman
I started my career wanting to make a 'James Bond' movie, and I couldn't get hired! I made 'The Bourne Identity,' and ultimately the impact of that film was that it changed the 'James Bond' franchise. View quote
Doug Liman
Casting is everything. I put a huge amount of work into casting, and consistently across my career, I am most proud of my bold choices I made in casting. View quote
Doug Liman
The movie I end up with is the movie I aspired to make. View quote
Doug Liman
I realize I am contradictory: I have an independent filmmaker's sensibility and a Hollywood director's short-attention span. (Doug Liman)
I think when the United States of America put a man on the moon in 1969, that was one of the greatest accomplishments mankind has ever done. View quote
Doug Liman
It turns out that it's easier to do politics in a movie. People really don't want it in their TV. View quote
Doug Liman
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! View quote
Doug Liman
I understand that it's a huge luxury for people to dwell on the problems in Washington. Things have to be pretty tidy in your own life that you have the time to worry about what's going on in Washington. Most of us spend our time worrying about the things that are directly around us: our love lives, our careers, and our banking accounts. View quote
Doug Liman
I make movies for me and posterity. I'm more scared of history than I am of the studio. View quote
Doug Liman
When I'm working on a film, I think about how it will play with a tiny audience of friends whose opinions I respect - basically, a 40-bloc radius from my apartment in Manhattan. View quote
Doug Liman
I go into a movie sort of saying what it's not going to be. View quote
Doug Liman
The beating heart of your story... that's not what shows up in a trailer. The other stuff is what shows up in a trailer, because that's what gets people in to the seats, and that's how studios make their money. View quote
Doug Liman
In particular, I'm drawn to the stories that have big, high concepts and real characters at their heart. And I love where those two worlds meet, and 'Edge of Tomorrow' is the perfect canvas to explore that. View quote
Doug Liman
I think making a great action movie is one of the hardest cinematic endeavors. By definition, smart characters avoid action. Smart people don't go down dark alleys, but if you're making an action movie and you want to have an action sequence, somehow you have to get that character into that dangerous situation. (Doug Liman)
The thing about TV is it's a meritocracy. I love that aspect of it - and I've had shows that have gone on the air and been canceled. I've seen the good and the bad of it. View quote
Doug Liman
From a production point of view, I still have one foot firmly planted in the independent film world, and much of the shooting on 'Jumper' was done 'Swingers'-style because that was the only way we could afford to do it. View quote
Doug Liman
I can't impress people with the pedigree of obscure French filmmakers that got me into film. It was Robert Zemeckis and Steven Spielberg. I really thought I wanted to make dumb action movies. View quote
Doug Liman
The more real I got on 'The Bourne Identity,' the more interesting it got. So 'Fair Game' was the chance to go a few more steps in that direction. In fact, I discovered this whole other world that I had ignored in the 'Bourne' franchise, which is the domestic life of a spy, and how you make the two halves of your life coexist. View quote
Doug Liman

Doug Liman

Doug Liman - Image
Photo: Wikimedia commons, CC BY 3.0
Occupation: American Director
Born: July 24, 1965
Quotes count: 26

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