Robot Overlordsis the new film from director Jon Wright, who previously gave the worldTormented, and the terrificGrabbers.

We got to speak to Gillian Anderson ahead of the films release.

Heres a nice way to start: I enjoyed this!

[Laughs]

I figure it best to start with honesty!

I tend to watch films likeRobot Overlordsthrough the eyes of my 11-year old son.

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Yeah, they do dont they!

So was that the appeal of something like that to you?

That it doesnt play a softly-softly approach, and instead walks a delicate line well?

It is a delicate line.

I showed my boys, who are younger than yours!

But I knew what to expect.

Which cant really be accounted for necessarily on a script.

You dont necessarily know thats going to translate, or what the feel is.

But I enjoyed it too.

Both boys, ones six and ones eight, my six year old in particular absolutely loved it.

He thinks its the best thing that hes ever seen!

Its the tone of the whole thing, that theyre all on an adventure together.

Hes not going to have any frame of reference, but theres this dystopian feel.

It really sets up that situation really well.

The feel of it is its past and its future.

It feels 50s and it feels way into our future at the same time.

I was really impressed with that.

I love Jon Wrights previous film,Grabbers, an awful lot.

I think whatRobot Overlordsdoes is treat human beings as human beings.

Was that embedded from the start, and was that what you were looking for?

Im a fan of sci-fi.

And Im a fan of sci-fi in films, rather than other mediums for it.

My character is a relatively well-rounded mum.

Shes obviously got depth.

And fitting grief around that.

Its not a character Ive had an opportunity to really play before.

I have a tendency to play peoples bosses and quite hard characters!

Im not a hard person.

Im a mum of three, and most of my time I spend on the floor making LEGO.

The softer side of me, and a character that was different.

That really appealed to me.

Obviously, youve got four young leads in the film, who work together extremely well.

I understand that Jon Wright brought them in early for rehearsals together.

Were you a part of that, or were they sparking already when you came onto the film?

But also, it was within the realm of reality.

It felt like the way that they were reacting to scenarios was how one would.

In a similar way toChronicle.

There was just something about it that felt more realistic.

And I feel as thoughRobot Overlordshad a bit of that too.

It sounds really twee, but it felt like spending time with humans.

I like human beings too.

There might be relationships between two human beings, but not more.

But what kind of advice are they asking you for?

And what were you asking when you were in their shoes?

Well I started older than them, at 24.

It was a lot of joking around with this group.

Im not sure we ever got into any serious conversation.

Now theyve arrived, theres nothing more to learn.

Its usually the ones who ask questions are the ones who are still in school.

That dissolves any more questions I think.

We never used to have that level of scrutiny.

I think the movie press does bear some responsibility there.

I really wanted to be involved in that film!

He had his family with him, and journalists were asking him if he was a virgin.

[Gasps] Oh my god!

The way he dealt with it was incredible.

Im just not sure why he had to.

Im with you on that.

That was certainly the case with the Harry Potter kids.

Their continued education was built in and mandatory.

Just to balance what was important.

Can I briefly ask you about Studio Ghibli.

Ghibli is very special to us.

Youve obviously been involved with the English voicing work on a couple of Ghibli films.

How do you feel about their work, and that its output is now winding down?

Well, anytime Miyazaki retires I always feel huge sadness.

Shes still got all the VHSes.

Shes 20 now, and her brothers are not allowed near them.

She too got what works of art they are.

There is something so spiritual and emotional and deep, and almost original Grimms fairy tale about them.

I dont want to believe that Ghibli is winding down.

It feels like its so important.

That its an important chapter in cultural history.

I really hope that it doesnt wind down for good.

Is your own plan now to tell more of your own stories?

Where are you with that?

People who read it keep wanting to turn it into something television-related.

And that may be eventually where I end up with it.

It wont be something Im acting in.

I specifically got involved to create a character that we could see on the big screen.

A real human being.

And I havent given up yet.

The book is now with a producer I have a great deal of respect for.

I dont know how long the journey will be with it!

I was asked recently to be on a panel at a Comic-Con that I was attending about that.

About having that conversation.

That its become not necessarily an insult, but a placating descriptive to use for a woman.

Its a lazy term in a sense.

Isnt it better at this juncture to find other words that are more accurate and applicable?

And with that, our time was up.

Gillian Anderson, thank you very much!

Robot Overlordsis out in UK cinemas on March 27th

Our added thanks to Rachel George.