"I like to think that we've got a plan, so let's stick to it. That said, once we've stuck to it, we're allowed as much improvisation as anyone cares to indulge themselves in"
About this Quote
The subtext is less about creativity than about permission and hierarchy. Improvisation isn’t framed as a free-for-all from the jump; it’s something you earn by proving you can hit marks, serve story, and respect the machine. That’s a director talking to actors (and crew) in a way that keeps morale high while keeping authorship intact: play as much as you want, but inside the track I’ve laid. The phrase “anyone cares to indulge themselves in” carries a faintly teasing cynicism, too - as if Ritchie’s aware of how self-serious “process” talk can get, and he’s pricking the balloon before it floats away.
Contextually, it fits a filmmaker associated with swaggering structure: intricate set-pieces, clockwork editing, and dialogue that sounds loose even when it’s engineered. It’s also a quiet rebuttal to the romantic myth that great directing is pure spontaneity. Ritchie’s saying the opposite: spontaneity lands harder when it has something solid to bounce off.
Quote Details
| Topic | Vision & Strategy |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Ritchie, Guy. (2026, January 18). I like to think that we've got a plan, so let's stick to it. That said, once we've stuck to it, we're allowed as much improvisation as anyone cares to indulge themselves in. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-like-to-think-that-weve-got-a-plan-so-lets-18301/
Chicago Style
Ritchie, Guy. "I like to think that we've got a plan, so let's stick to it. That said, once we've stuck to it, we're allowed as much improvisation as anyone cares to indulge themselves in." FixQuotes. January 18, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-like-to-think-that-weve-got-a-plan-so-lets-18301/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"I like to think that we've got a plan, so let's stick to it. That said, once we've stuck to it, we're allowed as much improvisation as anyone cares to indulge themselves in." FixQuotes, 18 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-like-to-think-that-weve-got-a-plan-so-lets-18301/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.


