CHRISTOPH WALTZ

You deal with a lot of machines in Alita: Battle Angel. Do you have a lot of machines in your life? I’m very competent. I use a vacuum-cleaner. A washing machine. A dishwasher. I have a smartphone but I don’t do the smart things with it. I make calls and occasionally check emails. I’m not that much into it. Now that they’re about to abolish all regulations for the protection of privacy — that is scary stuff.

The machines are taking over — even in filmmaking. What they’re doing is mind-blowing. In a way I’m glad I’m in the final stretch of my career, because by the time I get to the end, actors will be obsolete.

Well, they’ve already recreated Peter Cushing, in Rogue One.

I’m surprised they can do it legally. I’m sure SAG is working like crazy on regulations. It already exists that they can only use you for what you’ve signed up for. For Alita we got scanned and everything. Several times. And all that can be used only for the film. But that information [could get] hacked, and they could put together a movie with actors from throughout film history.

You could be in Mary Poppins 14! I’d rather be the penguin.

ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL IS IN CINEMAS FROM 6 FEBRUARY 2019