Alita: Battle Angel arrived in theaters in February 2019, a fluidly-stylish, cyberpunk adaptation directed by Robert Rodriguez and produced by James Cameron. The film brought to life Yukito Kishiro’s underrated-yet-influential 1990s manga and carried a hefty $170 million budget.
Alita: Battle Angel went on to gross $404 million worldwide, a respectable, if not spectacular, box-office performance. However, that number must have been just shy of what Fox/Disney wanted to see, as we've yet to have any solid traction on a sequel materialize.
Still, in contrast to the mixed reviews from critics, the film left a lasting impression on the general audience and sparked a devoted fan community, affectionately known as the “Alita Army.”
But in the several years that have passed since the film's release, excitement for a sequel has somewhat quieted among fans.
Nevertheless, James Cameron has revealed that he's determined to keep the project alive, revealing plans to push forward with a follow-up. Perhaps he's going to use some of his box office muscle from the Avatar films to strong-arm Fox into making another entry?
While promoting his upcoming Avatar: Fire and Ash, Cameron revealed, "I appreciate the loyalty of the Alita fans. Robert Rodriguez and I have sworn a blood oath to do at least one more Alita movie. In fact, we’re thinking of an architecture that bridges to a third film, but we’ll be satisfied if we can make one more. And we’re making progress on that."
That certainly sounds promising, but is it enough to trigger the resurgence of the Alita Army? Time will tell.
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.
Alita: Battle Angel stars Rosa Salazar, Christoph Waltz, Jennifer Connelly, Mahershala Ali, Ed Skrein, Jackie Earle Haley, Keean Johnson.