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Daily Inspiration Quote by Walter Hill

"I always say the next one is my favorite"

About this Quote

The line is a filmmaker’s dodge that doubles as a manifesto. When Walter Hill says, "I always say the next one is my favorite", he’s not offering a cute, evasive press-junket answer; he’s framing directing as forward motion, not a victory lap. It’s a practical refusal to become a curator of your own legacy. In an industry that rewards nostalgia and punishes risk, picking an old title as your "favorite" can read like settling into a museum of past wins. Hill’s instinct is to keep the camera pointed ahead.

There’s also a canny bit of self-protection here. Naming a favorite invites a ranking culture: critics, fans, and financiers turning your filmography into a tournament bracket. "The next one" short-circuits that game and keeps the artist in the driver’s seat. It’s humility without self-abasement: the suggestion that the best work isn’t behind you, even if the market prefers the comforting story of a peak and decline.

Coming from Hill - a director associated with lean genre machines, economy of storytelling, and a craftsman’s discipline - the quote lands as a work ethic disguised as optimism. The subtext is blunt: the only film you can still improve is the one you haven’t made yet. Creative identity, in this view, isn’t a highlight reel; it’s a schedule.

Quote Details

TopicOptimism
SourceHelp us find the source
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Citation Formats

APA Style (7th ed.)
Hill, Walter. (2026, January 15). I always say the next one is my favorite. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-always-say-the-next-one-is-my-favorite-152805/

Chicago Style
Hill, Walter. "I always say the next one is my favorite." FixQuotes. January 15, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-always-say-the-next-one-is-my-favorite-152805/.

MLA Style (9th ed.)
"I always say the next one is my favorite." FixQuotes, 15 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-always-say-the-next-one-is-my-favorite-152805/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.

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About the Author

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Walter Hill (born January 10, 1942) is a Director from USA.

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