As fans of Avatar wait for more news about James Cameron‘s plans for the future of the franchise, one of his most underrated creations is coming back to streaming. The 2019 film is one of the most striking examples of cyberpunk storytelling, all rendered in a futuristic setting where robots often seem to have more humanity than the humans around them. With a terrific blend of CGI and practical effects and an undeniably memorable action hero that will conquer your heart with her absurdly big eyes, this sci-fi action mix deserves another look; fortunately, you’ll be able to revisit it on October 1.
‘Alita: Battle Angel’ Is a Brilliant Achievement in Visual Effects and Worldbuilding
-
20th Century Fox -
an android human hybrid in Alita Battle Angel 20th Century Fox -
20th Century Fox
Alita: Battle Angel is based on Yukito Kishiro’s sci-fi manga series Gunnm, one of the most important cyberpunk works of all time. Directed by Robert Rodriguez (Sin City, From Dusk Till Dawn) and written by Cameron and Laeta Kalogridis, the film follows a young cyborg who is trying to find the truth about the human brain that Dr. Ido, her creator, used to awaken her. As she discovers incredible combat skills she didn’t know she had, she also becomes caught in a conflict that puts her directly in the crosshairs of Iron City’s rulers.
The film stars Rosa Salazar as the titular hero in a role that requires plenty of motion-capture technology, though this never diminishes Alita’s emotional depth and humanity. Salazar is joined by Ed Skrein, Christoph Waltz, Jennifer Connelly, Mahershala Ali, Jackie Earle Haley, Keean Johnson, and Eiza González, among others. Jai Courtney, Michelle Rodriguez, and Edward Norton appear in uncredited cameo roles.
Is ‘Alita: Battle Angel’ (Ever) Getting a Sequel?
Cameron and Rodriguez have been discussing the possibility of a sequel since the original arrived in theaters. Even before that, when he was developing Avatar, Cameron teased that Alita: Battle Angel could become a trilogy. Nevertheless, nothing has happened on this front, and Alita: Battle Angel has not been continued in any format. Last we heard, Cameron and Rodriguez were still interested, but the Terminator director’s attention seems to be solely focused on finishing his Avatar journey.
Cameron doesn’t discuss much about his projects outside the world of Pandora. Producer Jon Landau passed away a couple of years ago, and he was one of the few who believed in the concept from the beginning and helped bring it to fruition after it had spent years stuck in development hell. As for Robert Rodriguez, some time ago he said he wants to make another one.
Alita: Battle Angel 2 has not been confirmed, in other words, and at this point, it seems unlikely that a studio will approve a production budget of $200 million to make a sequel to a cyberpunk movie based on a manga series. Cameron’s films always triumph at the box office, but without him sitting in the director’s chair, the studio’s confidence in the project wouldn’t be the same.
In the meantime, all we can do is revisit the 2019 original. Alita: Battle Angel is set to start streaming on Hulu as part of the platform’s October update. Other titles like Cameron’s own True Lies, as well as The Substance and Edward Scissorhands, are also due to arrive on the platform.
