"If I start thinking, 'Is this movie going to open? Is this movie going to do well?' I'm not focusing on the job. The job is to make a good movie"
About this Quote
The subtext is a quiet repudiation of the star economy that helped make him famous. As a post-Twilight figure, Lautner’s career has existed under a microscope of performance metrics: opening weekends, franchise momentum, internet narratives about who “won” young Hollywood. In that context, saying “make a good movie” works like a reset button. It’s a way to reclaim agency when outcomes are hostage to marketing spend, release dates, critics’ cycles, streaming deals, and the unpredictable weather of audience mood.
There’s also a subtle self-protection here. Box-office obsession invites paranoia and second-guessing, especially for actors whose public value gets priced in real time. By refusing that calculus, he’s arguing for a healthier creative posture: focus on decisions you can control, let the marketplace do what it will. It’s the kind of pragmatic optimism that reads less like a slogan than a survival tactic.
Quote Details
| Topic | Work Ethic |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite | Cite this Quote |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Lautner, Taylor. (n.d.). If I start thinking, 'Is this movie going to open? Is this movie going to do well?' I'm not focusing on the job. The job is to make a good movie. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/if-i-start-thinking-is-this-movie-going-to-open-154182/
Chicago Style
Lautner, Taylor. "If I start thinking, 'Is this movie going to open? Is this movie going to do well?' I'm not focusing on the job. The job is to make a good movie." FixQuotes. Accessed February 3, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/if-i-start-thinking-is-this-movie-going-to-open-154182/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"If I start thinking, 'Is this movie going to open? Is this movie going to do well?' I'm not focusing on the job. The job is to make a good movie." FixQuotes, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/if-i-start-thinking-is-this-movie-going-to-open-154182/. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.




