Rian Johnson Quotes

Powerful Rian Johnson for Daily Growth

About Rian Johnson

Rian Johnson, born on December 17, 1973, in College Station, Texas, is an acclaimed American filmmaker known for his innovative storytelling and stylistic approach to cinema. His passion for filmmaking was ignited during his childhood when he would spend hours watching movies with his family. This early exposure to various genres and cinematic techniques laid the foundation for his future work. Johnson pursued a degree in Film Studies at USC School of Cinematic Arts, where he honed his skills and developed his unique style. After graduation, he began writing screenplays while working as a production assistant on various films. His breakthrough came with the script for the independent film "Brick" (2005), a modern-day high school detective story that showcased Johnson's knack for blending genre elements in unconventional ways. In 2008, Johnson directed and co-wrote "The Brothers Bloom," a caper film about two brother con artists. While it received mixed reviews, it solidified his reputation as a distinctive voice in cinema. However, it was his work on Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017) that catapulted him to mainstream success and critical acclaim. The film, known for its character development and thematic depth, became one of the highest-grossing films of 2017. In 2019, Johnson released "Knives Out," a murder mystery film that paid homage to classic whodunits while infusing it with his signature wit and style. The film was a commercial success and garnered multiple award nominations. His latest project is the upcoming Star Wars trilogy, further solidifying his place in modern cinema. Rian Johnson continues to push boundaries and redefine genre conventions, making him one of today's most exciting filmmakers.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"The fun of science fiction is that it allows you to explore big ideas and themes in a context where they're not tied down."

Rian Johnson's quote highlights the freedom and creativity inherent in science fiction as a genre. By setting stories in imaginative, non-realistic worlds, science fiction can tackle profound themes and concepts that might be difficult or impossible to explore within the constraints of reality. This allows authors and filmmakers to push boundaries, provoke thought, and encourage audiences to consider new perspectives on societal issues, human nature, and the universe itself.


"In writing, I like having all the puzzle pieces in front of me before I start fitting them together."

This quote suggests that Rian Johnson, when it comes to writing, prefers a methodical approach. He wants to have all the necessary elements or "puzzle pieces" (ideas, plot points, characters, themes) assembled before he begins the process of arranging them in a coherent and meaningful way. This strategy allows him to carefully consider each piece's role and how they interconnect within the whole, resulting in a more deliberate and thoughtfully crafted work.


"It's always good to be afraid when you're trying to do something new."

This quote suggests that a healthy dose of fear can serve as a catalyst for attempting something new or challenging. Fear, in this context, signifies an awareness of the risks, uncertainties, and potential difficulties associated with venturing into unknown territory. Embracing that fear and pushing through it allows us to grow, innovate, and ultimately, achieve our goals. It is an encouragement to confront fear head-on when embarking on new endeavors, as the potential rewards often outweigh the initial apprehensions.


"Storytelling is a collaborative act, and every collaboration is its own little world."

This quote suggests that storytelling is not just an individual effort but rather a collective process. Every collaboration, whether it's between a writer and editor, director and actors, or even among readers and interpreters of a story, creates its unique world, enriched by the diverse perspectives brought in by each collaborator. This world, in turn, is experienced differently by every audience member, making the act of storytelling an ever-evolving, dynamic process.


"The most important thing to remember is that there are no rules for good art except to be moved by what you feel in the moment."

Rian Johnson's quote emphasizes the importance of personal emotion and authenticity in creating meaningful art. He suggests that while there may be established rules or conventions for artistic expression, the true essence of good art lies in its ability to evoke genuine feelings from the artist themselves in the moment of creation. In other words, great art is a reflection of the artist's emotional truth, rather than adhering rigidly to external guidelines or expectations.


Teen movies often have an unspoken underlying premise in which high school is seen as less serious than the adult world. But when your head is encased in that microcosm it's the most serious time of your life.

- Rian Johnson

Seen, Your, Unspoken, Premise

I feel like people want to be surprised when they get out of the movies. They want something thrown at them they didn't expect. They want stuff that reminds them of the feelings that you get when you're watching art house movies but with the fun of like a big summer movie. That's the goal, I guess.

- Rian Johnson

Big, Feel, Movie, Surprised

Unlike some of the time-travel movies I love, like 'Primer' or '12 Monkeys,' 'Looper' is not about time travel. It's about this situation that time travel creates and the people dealing with that situation. So narratively, the big challenge was to have time travel get out of the way.

- Rian Johnson

Love, Some, Big Challenge, Monkeys

Even if I had $200 million, I'm very wary of overusing CGI. I think it's a great tool and it can be used really effectively, but I feel like it does tend to be overused and especially in sci-fi stuff.

- Rian Johnson

I Think, Very, CGI, Overused

With 'Brick,' I wrote the script when I was 23 and didn't make the movie until I was 30.

- Rian Johnson

Movie, Wrote, Until, Brick

With 'Brick' there was the Dashiell Hammett influence, and with 'Brothers Bloom' there was a really strong Fellini influence - both those movies wore that on their sleeve.

- Rian Johnson

Strong, Brothers, Really, Brick

The critical reaction to 'Bloom' has been similar to 'Brick.' There are people on board with it and people who are not.

- Rian Johnson

Reaction, Been, Similar, Brick

With 'Brick,' the style with language and the way it was shot was to create a world obviously elevated from the very first frame above a typical high school.

- Rian Johnson

Language, Very, Obviously, Brick

I do love science fiction, but it's not really a genre unto itself; it always seems to merge with another genre. With the few movies I've done, I've ended up playing with genre in some way or another, so any genre that's made to mix with others is like candy to me. It allows you to use big, mythic situations to talk about ordinary things.

- Rian Johnson

Love, Big, Some, Science Fiction

All my favorite movies are somebody else's least favorite movie.

- Rian Johnson

Movies, Movie, Else, Favorite Movies

Ray Bradbury was the first author that I was really exposed to back in grade school. I'm a big Philip K. Dick fan, but the emotion and humanity that Bradbury brings to his stories and the way he uses sci-fi to get at the human heart is something that's unique and for me incredibly influential.

- Rian Johnson

Big, Back, Influential, Grade School

'Star Wars' was everything for me. As a little kid, you get to see the movies only once or twice, but playing with the toys in your backyard, that's where you're first telling stories in your head.

- Rian Johnson

Kid, Telling, Your, Backyard

'Star Wars' boils down to the transition from adolescence into adulthood.

- Rian Johnson

Star, Adolescence, Star Wars, Transition

It took a while before I could sit across the table with Mark and not, every three seconds, think, 'I'm talking to Luke Skywalker.'

- Rian Johnson

Think, Before, Took, Table

Hopefully with each thing that you do you're learning something, you're growing, and you're pushing yourself a little harder in some way or another. So I think you'd be in real trouble if each new thing that you create didn't feel like 'Oh, wow. I feel like I'm doing something a little different this time.'

- Rian Johnson

Doing, Some, I Think, Wow

I bristle a little when the argument for film gets put into the nostalgia ghetto. Film is still the highest quality and best-looking image capture medium available. I don't think it always will be. The digital image will get better, and it will eventually surpass the quality of the film image, but it isn't there yet.

- Rian Johnson

Argument, Medium, Available, Surpass

Writing Kylo Ren is just so much fun.

- Rian Johnson

Writing, Just, Much, So Much Fun

As to whether Luke is the 'Last Jedi,' they say in 'The Force Awakens' he's going to find the last Jedi temple and Luke is the last Jedi.

- Rian Johnson

Last, Luke, Jedi, Temple

Luke Skywalker, right now, is the last Jedi. There's always wiggle room in these movies - everything is from a certain point of view - but coming into our story, he is the actual last of the Jedi.

- Rian Johnson

Point Of View, Point, Our, Jedi

My favorite sci-fi always uses its hook to amplify some bigger theme or idea - some emotional thrust.

- Rian Johnson

Bigger, Some, Always, Thrust

The overwhelming reaction on set was everybody loved the porgs. And I love 'em, so you know what? I get it if people are a little wary of cuteness in the 'Star Wars' universe, but I personally love them, and I think they have their place in the movie.

- Rian Johnson

Love, Everybody, I Think, Overwhelming

I'm just randomly wandering around the Walt Disney studios making pew-pew sounds, trying to direct people, and nobody listens to me anymore. I'm turning into a Force ghost. It's a strange feeling.

- Rian Johnson

Anymore, Around, Direct, Ghost

For me, I was entirely focused on 'Episode VIII' and having this experience, and now I'm just thinking of putting the movie out there and seeing how audiences respond to it.

- Rian Johnson

Movie, Having, Putting, Entirely

It was so emotional to step onto the Millennium Falcon set because that was the play set we all had when we were kids. Suddenly, you were standing in the real thing. There's this rush of unreality about it.

- Rian Johnson

Play, Falcon, About, Unreality

'Game of Thrones' is just incredible, what they pull off every week.

- Rian Johnson

Game, Week, Pull, Game Of Thrones

It's so much work to make a movie, and for me it has to get me off my butt. To get me actually writing you have to strike something inside, you have to hit a power main to get the energy. You have to strike something you care about.

- Rian Johnson

Work, Movie, Strike, Butt

I grew up having a sense of who Luke Skywalker is.

- Rian Johnson

Sense, Up, Having, Luke

I just don't think CGI is up to manipulating the human face yet. I feel like you can get away with it with aliens or monsters or something that's intentionally foreign, but I have yet to see anything digital to do with the human face that doesn't just look ridiculous.

- Rian Johnson

Feel, Away, CGI, Intentionally

I mean, the first 'Back to the Future' is kind of a perfect script, I think, in terms of handling time travel the best. It depends on your definition. To me, that means it effectively uses it in the story.

- Rian Johnson

Think, I Think, Means, Uses

You go from these high hopes when you're writing to just a desperate want of not making a complete fool of yourself by the end of it.

- Rian Johnson

Want, Making, Desperate, Complete

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.