Skip to main content

Daily Inspiration Quote by Ben Kingsley

"The many many imponderables come together when a film opens and for all sorts of reasons it may or may not succeed"

About this Quote

Kingsley’s phrase “many many imponderables” is actor-talk that doubles as a quiet rebuke to the myth of control in Hollywood. He’s not denying craft; he’s demoting it from master key to one ingredient in a volatile mix. “Come together when a film opens” pinpoints the moment of truth: not when the last scene wraps, not when awards chatter starts, but when the work collides with the marketplace and the mood of a given weekend. It’s a reminder that movies aren’t just made, they’re released into weather.

The subtext is humility with a sharpened edge. In an industry addicted to narratives of genius and blame, Kingsley offers a gentler (and more accurate) accounting: success is contingent, failure is often orphaned from merit. “For all sorts of reasons” is doing heavy lifting, gesturing at the unromantic realities actors live with but rarely headline - marketing budgets, distribution politics, timing against bigger titles, a trailer that mis-sells tone, a critic consensus that hardens early, an audience suddenly craving comfort over complexity. Even the culture can shift between greenlight and opening night.

Context matters: Kingsley’s career spans prestige cinema and broad entertainment, triumphs and under-seen work. He’s watched serious films get kneecapped by timing and lesser ones ride a wave. The line isn’t defeatist; it’s protective. By naming the imponderables, he frees artists from confusing box office with personal worth, while also acknowledging the brutal truth: at “open,” the film stops belonging to you.

Quote Details

TopicMovie
SourceHelp us find the source
Cite

Citation Formats

APA Style (7th ed.)
Kingsley, Ben. (2026, January 15). The many many imponderables come together when a film opens and for all sorts of reasons it may or may not succeed. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/the-many-many-imponderables-come-together-when-a-144533/

Chicago Style
Kingsley, Ben. "The many many imponderables come together when a film opens and for all sorts of reasons it may or may not succeed." FixQuotes. January 15, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/the-many-many-imponderables-come-together-when-a-144533/.

MLA Style (9th ed.)
"The many many imponderables come together when a film opens and for all sorts of reasons it may or may not succeed." FixQuotes, 15 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/the-many-many-imponderables-come-together-when-a-144533/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.

More Quotes by Ben Add to List
Ben Kingsley on the Imponderables of Film Openings
Click to enlarge Portrait | Landscape

About the Author

England Flag

Ben Kingsley (born December 31, 1943) is a Actor from England.

43 more quotes available

View Profile

Similar Quotes