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With director Robert Rodriguez’s Alita: Battle Angel opening in theaters this weekend, I recently got to sit down with Jennifer Connelly to talk about the film. During the interview, she talked about why you should see Alita in 3D, her reaction to seeing the finished VFX, what it was like shooting on the detailed practical sets, and more. In addition, she reminisced about working with Roger Deakins years ago, what it’s been like working with Tom Cruise on Top Gun 2, and why she loved making the upcoming Snowpiercer TV series.

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Image via 20th Century Fox

Before getting to the interview, I’ve seen Alita three times and absolutely loved it. James Cameron, Robert Rodriguez and producer Jon Landau have crafted something special and it’s one of those rare films that’s actually worth seeing in 3D. Trust me, the visual effects are insane, the action set pieces are easy to follow and well shot, and Rosa Salazar is fantastic as Alita. In addition, the world of Alita is the type of place I wish I could visit, and I hope they’re able to make future installments. Finally, if you live near an IMAX theater, I strongly recommend seeing Alita in IMAX 3D because you’ll get to see about 26% more image in a number of scenes. Alita also stars Christoph Waltz, Mahershala Ali, Ed Skrein, and Jackie Earle Haley.

Check out what she had to say in the player above and below is exactly what we talked about followed by the official synopsis and some related links.

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Photo by Rico Torres/20th Century Fox

Jennifer Connelly:

  • Her history with Roger Deakins and what it was like working with him.
  • What was it about Alita that made her want to do it?
  • How she had to use her imagination a lot on set to imagine what the finished project would look like.
  • What was her reaction to the finished film?
  • Why you should see the film in 3D.
  • The world of Alita and how they built practical sets.
  • Has she ever “borrowed” anything from set?
  • What has it been like working with Tom Cruise on Top Gun 2?
  • What can she tease about the Snowpiercer TV series?

Here’s the official Alita synopsis followed by some recent links.

From visionary filmmakers James Cameron (AVATAR) and Robert Rodriguez (SIN CITY), comes ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL, an epic adventure of hope and empowerment. When Alita (Rosa Salazar) awakens with no memory of who she is in a future world she does not recognize, she is taken in by Ido (Christoph Waltz), a compassionate doctor who realizes that somewhere in this abandoned cyborg shell is the heart and soul of a young woman with an extraordinary past. As Alita learns to navigate her new life and the treacherous streets of Iron City, Ido tries to shield her from her mysterious history while her street-smart new friend Hugo (Keean Johnson) offers instead to help trigger her memories. But it is only when the deadly and corrupt forces that run the city come after Alita that she discovers a clue to her past – she has unique fighting abilities that those in power will stop at nothing to control. If she can stay out of their grasp, she could be the key to saving her friends, her family and the world she’s grown to love.

For more on Alita: Battle Angel, be sure to check out these recent write-ups: