SIN CITY Director Robert Rodriguez Set To Helm ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL
It seems directing duties on Fox's long-in-development adaptation of the Battle Angel Alita manga have been passed over to Robert Rodriguez (Sin City, Machete, Spy Kids), though James Cameron remains on board as a producer. Click on for quotes from those involved...
Twentieth Century Fox has announced that James Cameron and Jon Landau will produce a big-screen adaptation of Yukito Kishiro's acclaimed Battle Angel Alita (it seems they've tinkered with the title for the movie) manga series, with Robert Rodriguez now in negotiations to direct.
Cameron has been trying to get this project off the ground for years, but evidently his commitment to the Avatar sequels finally forced him to pass it on. Below is the official press release, which contains quotes from Rodriguez and Cameron.
Set in the 26th century, ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL tells the story of Alita, an amnesiac female cyborg who is rescued from a scrapyard by a doctor. The rebuilt Alita, remembering only her training in a deadly martial art, becomes a hunter-warrior, tracking down and eliminating vicious criminals. Within the context of an epic action-adventure, the film will explore a young woman’s journey of self-discovery and finding love.
James Cameron: “Robert and I have been looking for a film to do together for years, so I was pumped when he said he wanted to do Battle Angel. He’s very collaborative and we’re already like two kids building a go-kart, just having fun riffing creatively and technically. This project is near and dear to me, and there’s nobody I trust more than Robert, with his technical virtuosity and rebel style, to take over the directing reins. We’re looking forward to learning a lot from each other while we make a kick-ass epic.”
Robert Rodriguez: “Battle Angel is an incredibly rich and vibrant epic in the tradition of Jim Cameron’s spectacular, character-driven films. Getting to work from Jim’s terrific and visionary script while learning the cutting edge techniques he’s pioneered is a master class in filmmaking. It’s an honor to explore the world of Alita along with Jim and Jon, whose films have impacted me for decades.”
No release date was provided, but we'll keep you posted. Do you think Rodriguez is a good fit for this material? Sound off below.
About The Author:
Mark Cassidy is a writer, photographer, amateur filmmaker, and Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic from Dublin, Ireland.