--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: After 'The Empire Strikes Back,' I got to…" description: "\"After 'The Empire Strikes Back,' I got to make big films that I didn't care about, 'Never Say Never Again' and 'RoboCop 2,' and then I got too old.\" — ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d38/irvin-kershner-38121_bigs_after-the-empire-strikes-back-i-got-to-m_1474782.jpg" --- # After 'The Empire Strikes Back,' I got to make big films… ![“After 'The Empire Strikes Back,' I got to make big films that I didn't care about, 'Never Say Never Again' and 'RoboCop 2,' and then I got too old.” quote by Irvin Kershner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d38/irvin-kershner-38121_bigs_after-the-empire-strikes-back-i-got-to-m_1474782.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d38/irvin-kershner-38121_bigs_after-the-empire-strikes-back-i-got-to-m_1474782.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d38/irvin-kershner-38121_bigs_after-the-empire-strikes-back-i-got-to-m_1474782.jpg) > “After 'The Empire Strikes Back,' I got to make big films that I didn't care about, 'Never Say Never Again' and 'RoboCop 2,' and then I got too old.” [Irvin Kershner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-kershner/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He reflects on losing creative passion after early successes, leading to less meaningful projects and feeling aging. **In simple terms:** He made big movies he didn't care about as he aged. Key Takeaway Prioritize meaningful work over fame. Themes creativity career aging artistic integrity disillusionment Mood reflective melancholic cautious Type personal career cautionary When to use this quote - directing - selecting scripts - career planning - self‑assessment Key Concepts film industry creative burnout legacy personal fulfillment Questions to Reflect On - Do you chase prestige or purpose? - How can you stay authentic over time? A Different Perspective Success can mask declining passion and lead to regret. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care/) [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Empires](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/empires/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Films](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/films/) [Never say never](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/never-say-never/) [Robocop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/robocop/) [Strikes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strikes/) ## Related quotes > [I don't accept films just because they have star heroes in lead. I rejected a few big films because I didn't like the story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sai-pallavi/i-don-t-accept-films-just-because-they-have-star-heroes-in-lead-i/) [Sai Pallavi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sai-pallavi/) > [Confession: When I went to see The Empire Strikes Back I found myself glancing at my watch. The Force is with us, indeed, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-canby/confession-when-i-went-to-see-the-empire-strikes-back-i-found-myself/) [Vincent Canby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-canby/) > [I've said it would have to be our Empire Strikes Back for me to come back and for me to pull the whole team…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-kosinski/i-ve-said-it-would-have-to-be-our-empire-strikes-back-for-me-to-come/) [Joseph Kosinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-kosinski/) > [I saw 'The Empire Strikes Back' the week that it came out. My father was a huge 'Star Wars' fan. And so when it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-faison/i-saw-the-empire-strikes-back-the-week-that-it-came-out-my-father-was/) [Donald Faison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-faison/) > [I am never going to do an Empire Strikes Back ending again in a game, even if they put branding irons to my feet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-avellone/i-am-never-going-to-do-an-empire-strikes-back-ending-again-in-a-game/) [Chris Avellone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-avellone/) > [I still believe that even though 'The Empire Strikes Back' is better in innumerable ways than 'Star Wars,' 'Star Wars' wins.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-whedon/i-still-believe-that-even-though-the-empire-strikes-back-is-better-in/) [Joss Whedon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-whedon/) > [Seventeen years after its intial release, The Empire Strikes Back is still as thrilling and involving as ever. Because of the high quality of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-berardinelli/seventeen-years-after-its-intial-release-the-empire-strikes-back-is/) [James Berardinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-berardinelli/) > [I did some really big films like 'Vaastav' with Sanjay Dutt, 'Pukar' with Anil Kapoor, and 'Jab Pyar Kissi se Hota Hai' with Salman…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/namrata-shirodkar/i-did-some-really-big-films-like-vaastav-with-sanjay-dutt-pukar-with/) [Namrata Shirodkar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/namrata-shirodkar/) > [I want to try to make big films that hopefully connect with people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/i-want-to-try-to-make-big-films-that-hopefully-connect-with-people/) [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) > [Many films you see in theaters are financed through outside sources. 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I'm always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/i-would-never-want-to-do-something-just-for-the-sake-of-being/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) ## More by Irvin Kershner > [I have not given much credence to reviews of my films. Sometimes they're wrong, but it didn't matter to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-kershner/i-have-not-given-much-credence-to-reviews-of-my-films-sometimes-they/) [Irvin Kershner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-kershner/) > [In the last ten years of watching films I have found that some of the foreign films I saw affected me most. One American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-kershner/in-the-last-ten-years-of-watching-films-i-have-found-that-some-of-the/) [Irvin Kershner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-kershner/) > [I have not been a follower of how many millions my films made or did not make.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-kershner/i-have-not-been-a-follower-of-how-many-millions-my-films-made-or-did/) [Irvin Kershner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-kershner/) > [I want films to haunt an audience, to give them something to remember and be able to talk about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-kershner/i-want-films-to-haunt-an-audience-to-give-them-something-to-remember/) [Irvin Kershner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-kershner/) > [There's nothing more interesting than the landscape of the human face.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-kershner/there-s-nothing-more-interesting-than-the-landscape-of-the-human-face/) [Irvin Kershner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-kershner/) > [Nobody can be happy. You could have moments of happiness, moments of joy. But life is very difficult. Unless you're a total idiot. Then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-kershner/nobody-can-be-happy-you-could-have-moments-of-happiness-moments-of/) [Irvin Kershner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-kershner/) > [I love my early movies, but naturalism is an artist's early style. Now I want to deal with feelings, dreams, an acceptance of irrationality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-kershner/i-love-my-early-movies-but-naturalism-is-an-artist-s-early-style-now/) [Irvin Kershner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-kershner/) > [We had an electronic head and arm for Threepio, and I manipulated the mechanism with a joystick. But it wasn't working. The propman said,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-kershner/we-had-an-electronic-head-and-arm-for-threepio-and-i-manipulated-the/) [Irvin Kershner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-kershner/) > [Film is a window to the real world but a lie that makes you believe the unbelievable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-kershner/film-is-a-window-to-the-real-world-but-a-lie-that-makes-you-believe/) [Irvin Kershner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-kershner/) > [It's a matter of pride to me to get the film done fast, to get it done well. 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