There's no need there to sit with the filmmaker for 11 years to develop the script, or go round the world raising money.

I think there's a dishonorable tradition in Hollywood to give the idea, particularly to children, that evil characters are dark.

The work is different in the sense that I haven't had to travel round the world raising money, or work from the genesis of the project. But the collaboration feels clear always, it's sort of my drug, I'm in it for the conversation. The conversation's the most important part of it.

I mean, even in terms of the Marvel universe, this [Ancient One character] is going on a side street into a major piazza that Marvel hasn't even been to before, because it's all about creation and not so much about destruction and forestalling destruction, it's about your mind.

There's a thing I really mind hearing, when someone says: "That's not my kind of film, I don't want to go and see that..." I don't believe that, I don't believe that it's possible to write off a whole genre of filmmaking - "oh I don't like subtitled films", or "I don't like black and white films", or I don't like films made before or after, a certain date" - I don't believe that.

Eleven years is a great length of time to prepare a movie, it would be wonderful to have 11 years of funded preparation.

I'm from the same planet as David Bowie.