James Cameron's ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL Adds WATCHMEN's Jackie Earle Haley As A Cyborg Villain
Fresh from his turn as the seriously messed up Odin Quincannon on AMC's Preacher, Jackie Earle Haley has signed on to play another baddie in the James Cameron-produced live-action Alita: Battle Angel...
Jackie Earle Haley seems to be establishing himself as something of a geek icon. Having first growled his way into our hearts as Rorschach in Zack Snyder's Watchmen, he went on to appear in the likes of the Robocop remake, Preacher and The Tick, and has booked roles in future projects such as The Dark Tower.
Now, we can add another well-loved adaptation to the list.
THR reports that Haley will play the villain in the James Cameron-produced Alita: Battle Angel, which will be helmed by Sin City director Robert Rodriguez. No character identity has been specified yet, but sources indicate he'll be portraying "a monstrous cyborg in a villain role that will call for plenty of CG and greenscreen." Chances are that's going to be Alita's first significant adversary, Makaku, but there are several possibilities.
Alita: Battle Angel is set to commence production in Austin next month, and will also star Christoph Waltz and Maze Runner actress Rosa Salazar as the titular cyborg heroine.