Louis Leterrier Quotes

Powerful Louis Leterrier for Daily Growth

About Louis Leterrier

Louis Leterrier, a dynamic and visionary film director, was born on July 14, 1964, in Paris, France. Growing up in the vibrant city, he developed an early passion for cinema, often visiting local cinemas to indulge in various genres of films. This fascination led him to study at the prestigious La Fémis film school in Paris. Leterrier began his career as a second assistant director on films like Luc Besson's "The Big Blue" and "Leon: The Professional." His first major break came with directing music videos for artists such as Mylène Farmer, which showcased his flair for dynamic visual storytelling. In 2001, Leterrier made his mark in Hollywood with the action-comedy "The Transporter," starring Jason Statham. This film's success paved the way for him to direct another action-packed franchise, "The Incredible Hulk" in 2008. One of Leterrier's most significant contributions to cinema is his work on the blockbuster "Clash of the Titans" (2010). Combining cutting-edge visual effects with gripping storytelling, this film cemented his reputation as a master of action and fantasy films. In 2016, Leterrier returned to his roots with the French action thriller "The Immortal," showcasing his ability to create engaging stories across different genres and cultures. His most recent work is the Netflix film "Rebel" (2022), a biographical drama about the life of Carlos the Jackal. Throughout his career, Louis Leterrier has demonstrated an unwavering dedication to his craft, consistently pushing boundaries and delivering visually stunning and emotionally impactful films. His work continues to inspire a new generation of filmmakers, making him a significant figure in modern cinema.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"You don't make a movie to please a focus group. You make it for your heart."

Louis Leterrier suggests that when creating a film, the creator should prioritize their personal passion and creative vision over external factors such as focus groups or popular opinion. In other words, a movie is best made from the heart, rather than attempting to please everyone else. This quote underscores the importance of staying true to one's artistic instincts when bringing a film to life.


"I believe in taking chances and going big."

This quote by Louis Leterrier conveys a spirit of boldness, ambition, and risk-taking. It suggests that one should seize opportunities, aim high, and pursue ventures beyond the ordinary or safe. The phrase "going big" implies ambition, impact, and scale, urging individuals to strive for significant achievements rather than settling for mediocrity.


"Filmmaking is an emotional art form. If you can feel it, then others will too."

This quote by Louis Leterrier emphasizes that filmmaking is not just a technical craft, but an expression of emotion. The idea is that if a director feels deeply about the story they are telling, their passion and sentiment will resonate with the audience, creating an emotional connection between the film and viewers. In other words, to make a great film, one must pour heart into it, so others can also experience those emotions.


"A great script and strong characters are the foundation of any film."

This quote by Louis Leterrier emphasizes that a solid foundation is crucial for any successful film. The "great script" refers to the narrative structure, dialogue, plot development, and themes that shape the storyline. Strong characters, on the other hand, are the individuals that drive the story forward, each with unique personalities, motivations, and arcs that resonate with audiences. Together, they create a compelling and engaging cinematic experience, ensuring that the film is more than just visual spectacle.


"I always try to push the boundaries of what's possible in cinema."

This quote by Louis Leterrier indicates his desire to consistently challenge and redefine the limits of filmmaking, striving for innovation and progression within the cinematic industry. In other words, he aims to create movies that are more than just entertainment; they should be a step forward in advancing the art and technology of cinema.


I like the idea of a TV show. You take time to get to know your characters. You can introduce a lot of characters. You don't need your three-action set pieces that you usually need for movies.

- Louis Leterrier

Like, TV, Set, Introduce

I've started movies without screenplays both on 'Clash' and on 'Hulk,' and that is tremendously stressful because you have a tendency to overcompensate with effects. You haven't tested it in your head. You didn't run it over and over again and covered all of the plot holes and figure it out. It's a marathon that you sprint.

- Louis Leterrier

Tested, Sprint, Tendency, Screenplays

It's funny, I started by making fake American movies, 'The Transporter' and stuff like that. I was shooting in France, but everything was in English. But then afterwards, I was looking at real French movies like the Jacques Audiard movies.

- Louis Leterrier

Making, Like, Afterwards, Fake

I'll tell you what, I had complete control on 'Unleashed.' I directed, produced, chose the musician, picked the costumes, and everything. I never had anyone saying, 'I don't like this and I don't like that.' The studio, Universal, were easy. It was this weird movie no one cared about.

- Louis Leterrier

Tell, Movie, Studio, Unleashed

My favorite moment is when someone says, 'I like 'Unleashed.' 'Now You See Me' is so much fun.' That's what I want to do: smart, fun and big movies. I cannot lie, I love working with those big paint brushes. I have a blast doing these movies.

- Louis Leterrier

Love, Doing, Big, Unleashed

It's true, I'm the youngest, highest-grossing French director. I have a few records, but no one knows or simply doesn't care. That's good, because I like that. Ultimately, I want to keep working, making a lot of movies, and get better at it. It's about finding great scripts and bringing them to life.

- Louis Leterrier

Records, About, Youngest, Scripts

'Iron Man' was this fun, poppy thing bound to make a zillion dollars. And we were the other side of a superhero movie. More complex with The Hulk being this complex character - that's what it was.

- Louis Leterrier

Other, Poppy, Side, Complex Character

What's great about 'The Avengers' is that it's the next step. It's not just superhero fights super-villain and superhero wins. It's about superheroes that come together and interact. It's a clash of the egos. You could do 'Avengers 1' without a villain, just with all these guys coming together. They could sit down and just have a discussion.

- Louis Leterrier

Villain, Superhero, Next, Superheroes

Great actors are so easy to direct. It's like they're big 747s that you just have to move left and right, and I don't really need to direct. I need to put them in the right costume, with the right haircut, in the right location, and with the right actor to act with. And then my job is almost done, with a great script, obviously.

- Louis Leterrier

Big, Almost, Direct, Costume

If I was to direct a movie about a super-confident guy, first of all I would hate that character. I can do a super-confident guy who crashes and burns and has to rebuild himself as somebody humble. But a super-confident guy that just gets more confident and gets the girl and the money and more success? That's not interesting.

- Louis Leterrier

Humble, Confident, Movie, Crashes

I think our movie, 'Now You See Me,' is an emotional movie rooted in smart and wits and fully amazing actors working perfectly together. It's like a supergroup of musicians.

- Louis Leterrier

Think, I Think, Perfectly, Fully

When you do a first movie, you're contractually supposed to do the second one and then you don't do it, you become an executive producer. That's why there are a ton of directors who have executive producer credits on other movies.

- Louis Leterrier

Movie, Other, Directors, Credits

I'm stuck somewhere a small island in the middle of the Atlantic where I'm alone. Because in France, they're like, 'No, you're not like us, you're not a French guy.' And in America, they're like, 'You're not like us.' I'm really alone in my little thing.

- Louis Leterrier

Small, Middle, Like, French

French cinema has always been very interesting, and it's still very powerful. I think it goes to show that it's great to still have a cinema that doesn't try to emulate, for example, American cinema.

- Louis Leterrier

Think, Always, Very, French

I'm a 'Clash of the Titans'/'Star Wars' baby. I'm not a new 'Star Wars' baby. I'm not an 'Avatar' baby. That full CG doesn't work for me. I need interactivity. I need to feel the goo. I need to feel people coming out of animatronics and just interacting with props.

- Louis Leterrier

Feel, Clash, Interacting, Avatar

The new 'Avatar' BluRay is a lesson in filmmaking. It really is inspiring.

- Louis Leterrier

Lesson, Filmmaking, New, Avatar

My fear in converting it to 3-D is that people will say, 'Oh, it's the 3-D 'Clash of the Titans.' No, it's 'Clash of the Titans,' the movie, and then, on top of that, you have the 3-D conversion. The 2-D movie works as well as the 3-D movie. I want to make sure that people like the 2-D version.

- Louis Leterrier

Movie, Works, Converting, Titans

I'm one of the lucky directors that pretty much every movie I've done has started a franchise. But I never think this way. I think that's the way you break it, if you go, 'then at the end, at the end we'll see you later.' I was forced to do it in 'Clash of the Titans.'

- Louis Leterrier

Lucky, I Think, Franchise, Titans

I feel like the great filmmakers who have a true voice, yeah they take the notes, they understand the notes, but it's really about the notes underneath the notes. When you do a test screening and somebody says, 'Well, I didn't like the love story,' but it was probably just too long.

- Louis Leterrier

Love, Voice, Screening, Underneath

Frankly, with HBO and Showtime and cable shows, the DVD box sets and all, you can have a product that doesn't make you feel like as soon as it's projected, it's thrown away. It's really a piece of art.

- Louis Leterrier

Art, Product, Away, Showtime

I love comedies, and I like sometimes comedies have a tendency to get a bit lazy. 'The Other Guys' was not lazy.

- Louis Leterrier

Love, Other, I Love, Comedies

I did my 'Hulk,' but it was not easy. If I do another Hulk film it will always be compared to the Ang Lee thing, and my first one... if I come back, I'd love to do another superhero, something different that I can really put my touch on.

- Louis Leterrier

Love, Superhero, Another, Ang

'Captain America' I love, and that would be great, but c'mon, a Frenchman doing 'Captain America?' They would burn my passport.

- Louis Leterrier

Love, Doing, Burn, Captain America

I'll say it, I love working with actors, I'm a fan of actors. They bring so much, and they can also break a movie, but when it works I give it all to the actors. I'll say it, I think that 'The Transporter' is great not because of my direction, it really is great because Jason Statham was great in it.

- Louis Leterrier

Love, I Think, Works, Jason

Movies are not finished. They are abandoned. A movie is never finished.

- Louis Leterrier

Movies, Never, Movie, Finished

Even though I studied in New York and I know the American system, I come from France where I learned that with movies in France where the director is king. There's no such thing as a studio edit. It's the director's cut, period.

- Louis Leterrier

American, Studio, Cut, France

I talked to Marvel about 'Thor' at one point, but I didn't want to do Thor. It wasn't something I read growing up, really; it wasn't one of the books I loved.

- Louis Leterrier

Want, Thor, Read, Marvel

When I was in film school, I was learning more theory than practice.

- Louis Leterrier

Practice, More, Film School, Theory

If you're searching for quotes on a different topic, feel free to browse our Topics page or explore a diverse collection of quotes from various Authors to find inspiration.