Ex Robert Rodriguez, Rosa Salazar, Ed Skrein & More Talk Alita: Battle Angel

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Sometimes a movie can surprise you in the best of ways. The first time I caught the trailer for ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL, I was less than impressed. It didn’t help that some of the early reviews weren’t quite raves. However, once I actually took it all in, I was quite mesmerized by just how beautiful a world it is, and especially how incredible the film’s star, Rosa Salazar is. In fact, since my original viewing, I’ve been lucky enough to catch this impressive flick in both 3D – which was seamless and exceptionally well done – as well as 4DX – which is quickly becoming one of my favorite ways to see a film like this. If you are looking for a bold and ambitious cinematic world to disappear into, this is a worthy, and oftentimes wonderful, journey.

Recently we had the opportunity to visit Iron City ourselves – or a pretty cool recreation of it. During my time there, we sat with a few of the cast members, as well as Robert Rodriquez and producer Jon Landau. First up was the great Christoph Waltz. In the film, Waltz portrays a scientist who takes Alita in. The relationship between he and Salazar really affected me, and he discussed how easy it was to find the chemistry with his co-star. He also opened up about genre and science fiction, and how this particular take on this character is unusual to see in this kind of film. This is especially true considering everybody knows the term “Mad Scientist.” Thankfully, his work here is far from typical, and frankly quite moving. Some of my favorite moments in the film are with Waltz and Salazar together.

Next up we spoke to Rosa, Robert and Jon, and frankly I was thrilled to talk to Ms. Salazar about her phenomenal work, and how WETA helped bring it to life. The three discussed finding the right Alita, and creating a real and near human creation. There is clearly a lot of love for this project from all three, and it was evident in the way they talk about the film. This feature is truly a collaborative effort, and they discussed bringing Jim Cameron’s vision to life in a bold and exciting way. And happily, this was a tale that was perfect for Rodriquez' visual style.

Next up we spoke to a few of Alita’s close pals. Jorge Lendeborg, Jr., Keean Johnson and Lana Condor chatted excitedly about being a part of this project. Funnily enough, they all were cast a few years back in preparation for the film. Can you imagine getting offered a role for a film that won’t come out for another four years? As well, Johnson talked about taking on a different kind of male lead. It was a nice twist to see him having to be saved by Alita, instead of the other way around. Either way, it was a real pleasure chatting with the three actors.

And finally, we sat down with one of my favorite fellas in the business. The funny thing about Ed Skrein, is that while he plays villains and horrible people exceedingly well, he is one of the coolest and most friendly guys around. The actor discussed his character here, playing a cruel cyborg, and how different it was to film something like this as opposed to his work in the upcoming sequel to MALEFICENT. This was especially true in connection with how the effects were handled. Skrein is really terrific as Zapan, and he makes for a solid bad ass.

It was fantastic chatting with this fine group, and frankly I hope that audiences check out this creative and eye-popping feature film. ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL opens today at a theatre near you.