Jan de Bont

“I think there are a lot more relationship scenes in my movies that people tend to overlook. A lot of scenes really feel real and are about the characters.”

“One of the most amazing locations I've ever been is the top of the volcano in Tanzania, Africa. It's an actual volcano where you really have this lava every day.”

“I had a very strong-willed mother, who I totally adored. She was always in control of her life.”

“Being in an area of the planet where scientists believe mankind started is quite amazing.”

“We're surrounded by violence, and we see so much of it on TV, especially the news programs. We almost become numb. And that forces filmmakers to try to outdo themselves... They say, 'Look what I can do,' and it becomes like a showoff thing. To me, that's ridiculous. Filmmaking isn't a contest!”

“This film, Tomb Raider 2, is a big challenge. It's quite exhausting.”

“It's always an enormous pressure when you do a sequel. The demands are so high, and it's expensive.”

“I think what makes a good action film is a story that gets you involved. Just action, by itself, is not going to work.”

“Angelina wanted to make sure that any fighting in the movie would be comparable to any male actor. Everything from stick fighting to horse riding was real to her.”

“Technology is a major tool in exploring and challenging your creativity, but it can also overtake your creativity... My mind goes very fast, and I can see all kinds of images that would be spectacular on the screen. But they would cost so much money, and would they really make the story that much better?”

“I think the audience would like to see movies that are stunning to watch. I really think they'd like to see spectacles.”

“I really believe action will always be there and will never disappear.”

“The quality of CGI, audiences are now so used to it. They don't know what is CGI and what is real.”

“In regards to The Haunting, people compared it to the old movie, which is unfair. We didn't have the rights to the movie. I couldn't duplicate a single thing because that would have been legal infringement.”

“As a director, you try to find what is creative.”

“Using my imagination and creativity is exciting to me.”

“We're all complex human beings, and if some of that complexity shows through, I think it's advantageous for the movie.”

“Summer movies are spectacles; that's what you pay 10 dollars to see. You want to get teased by effects sometimes. I think that will never stop.”

“Lara Croft is such a strong individual, she's very driven, she doesn't need a man, she's speaks her own mind, and that she's in control of her own life. It's a lot of what women want and have.”

“We are creating a fabulous franchise with an incredible female action hero.”