Christopher McQuarrie
Birthday: 1968, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
Christopher McQuarrie is an acclaimed producer, director and an Academy Award® winning writer. McQuarrie grew up in Princeton Junction, New Jersey and in lieu of college, he spent the first five year ...Show More
I am not interested in telling you what to think. My job is to show you what I think. Period.
I am not interested in telling you what to think. My job is to show you what I think. Period.
I'm a big fan of the movies of the '60s, more than a fan of the movies of the '70s.
I'm a big fan of the movies of the '60s, more than a fan of the movies of the '70s.
The challenge in most car chases is you're trying to hide the fact that it's not the actor driving.
The challenge in most car chases is you're trying to hide the fact that it's not the actor driving.
What makes a movie now is a package, a brand, a remake or some preexisting material.
What makes a movie now is a package, a brand, a remake or some preexisting material.
I believe that as a writer and a director, you're only providing the skeleton of a character, and yo Show more
I believe that as a writer and a director, you're only providing the skeleton of a character, and you're hiring actors to fill it out. Hide
When you've written a film and directed it and it comes out exactly as you imagined it, it's pretty Show more
When you've written a film and directed it and it comes out exactly as you imagined it, it's pretty boring. Hide
While I was a voracious moviegoer as a boy, I never put writing and films together in my mind.
While I was a voracious moviegoer as a boy, I never put writing and films together in my mind.
My films do very well on home video.
My films do very well on home video.
You've gotta understand: in July of '44, the Allies were still contained on the peninsula in western Show more
You've gotta understand: in July of '44, the Allies were still contained on the peninsula in western France and the destruction of Europe had not really begun. War had not really touched the European continent at that point. Hide
Directing my own writing, I see that I talk way too much, and everything can happen much sooner, wit Show more
Directing my own writing, I see that I talk way too much, and everything can happen much sooner, with much less said about it. Hide
I honestly never wanted to direct. It was only when I started to work on Alexander the Great that I Show more
I honestly never wanted to direct. It was only when I started to work on Alexander the Great that I realized I had to direct. I saw something so specifically in my mind, I could not leave it to someone else. Hide
I always feel like an outsider. I'll always feel like the nerd at the party.
I always feel like an outsider. I'll always feel like the nerd at the party.
When you're making a film, you don't really have time to consider what the whole of your film is. An Show more
When you're making a film, you don't really have time to consider what the whole of your film is. And then, when you're releasing your film and promoting your film, you're looking at it in a different way. Then, as you move away from it, you start to look at it objectively and think, "What could I have done better?". Hide
With 'Rubicon', Mark Long and Dan Capel have created the perfect environment for an intense action f Show more
With 'Rubicon', Mark Long and Dan Capel have created the perfect environment for an intense action franchise. Hide
Knowledge is death in my experience. The more I know about film, the harder it is to create freely.
Knowledge is death in my experience. The more I know about film, the harder it is to create freely.
Action to me is something very fun to shoot.
Action to me is something very fun to shoot.
To me, the ultimate crime in an adaptation is the crime of reverence. A novel is one form of media, Show more
To me, the ultimate crime in an adaptation is the crime of reverence. A novel is one form of media, a screenplay is another, and a movie is yet another. There's even reverence to a screenplay. Hide
Directing has completely changed the way I write and watch films.
Directing has completely changed the way I write and watch films.
The truth of the matter is movies are a reflection of life and violence is a real part of life. I do Show more
The truth of the matter is movies are a reflection of life and violence is a real part of life. I don't think you could make movies exclusively where there was no violence. Hide
I was writing from the time I was 12 years old, but I originally wanted to be a novelist.
I was writing from the time I was 12 years old, but I originally wanted to be a novelist.
A lot of books, if you take them at face value, they're just not gonna work as films.
A lot of books, if you take them at face value, they're just not gonna work as films.
Look: the day I've made a movie that I think is really good, I hope I say it out loud so somebody ca Show more
Look: the day I've made a movie that I think is really good, I hope I say it out loud so somebody can say, "Then you probably made the worst movie of your entire career.". Hide
There is no 'Top Gun 2' in which Maverick is not the starring role.
There is no 'Top Gun 2' in which Maverick is not the starring role.
I've rewritten other films and watched my writing be mutilated, but luckily, it's been mutilated ano Show more
I've rewritten other films and watched my writing be mutilated, but luckily, it's been mutilated anonymously. Hide
For everything you give an audience, you always have to take one thing away. They always have to pay Show more
For everything you give an audience, you always have to take one thing away. They always have to pay for the story. Hide
The way I like to describe Hollywood today is this: everyone wants to make Deliverance (1972), but n Show more
The way I like to describe Hollywood today is this: everyone wants to make Deliverance (1972), but no one wants to be Ned Beatty. Hide
The one thing that frustrates me more than anything else is that no studio has ever told me to tone Show more
The one thing that frustrates me more than anything else is that no studio has ever told me to tone down violence. They only ask you to make it more presentable. Hide
History tends to take the simplest possible view. As soon as you start to scratch the surface of any Show more
History tends to take the simplest possible view. As soon as you start to scratch the surface of any historical event, it starts to become more and more complicated, which is not the stuff of Hollywood films. Complications tend to break down the budget. Hide
I think it's a lot easier to tell a war story about two sides of a conflict with one another as oppo Show more
I think it's a lot easier to tell a war story about two sides of a conflict with one another as opposed to one side in conflict with itself. Hide
I love films like Deliverance (1972) where you can watch it over and over again and decode all of it Show more
I love films like Deliverance (1972) where you can watch it over and over again and decode all of its many different meanings. Hide
I've always been fascinated with Navy SEALs in general and their role in Afghanistan in particular.
I've always been fascinated with Navy SEALs in general and their role in Afghanistan in particular.
The Way of the Gun (2000) I wrote in five days.
The Way of the Gun (2000) I wrote in five days.
I'm saying, let's learn to reacquire a respect for the power of guns. This culture is so indifferent Show more
I'm saying, let's learn to reacquire a respect for the power of guns. This culture is so indifferent and disrespectful of guns that we should be terrified. Hide
Scripts don't get movies made.
Scripts don't get movies made.
I love traveling around promoting different movies because I'm always looking at different places, a Show more
I love traveling around promoting different movies because I'm always looking at different places, and I always walk around to see the city. Hide
Oh my God, you look at all the uniforms in Star Wars, and it's all Nazi iconography.
Oh my God, you look at all the uniforms in Star Wars, and it's all Nazi iconography.
Success is never bad in Hollywood. It is what you do with success that will dog you.
Success is never bad in Hollywood. It is what you do with success that will dog you.
Ideally, I'd like to have a movie that people like and makes money.
Ideally, I'd like to have a movie that people like and makes money.
