ICYMI this…2019 has seen a smorgasbord of comic book movies, yet the cyberpunk sci-fi actioner “Alita: Battle Angel” truly stands out from the rest. The long in-development pet project of James Cameron based upon Yukito Kishiro’s acclaimed manga series, “Alita” hit theaters this past February, having moved from its original December 2018 release.
Despite emerging as a sleeper hit to the tune of $404 million, the film’s colossal $170 million budget, along with the 20th Century Fox merger with Disney, has left the prospect of “Alita 2” an open question, even though the passionate Alita fan base (dubbed the “Alita Army” in the media), has loudly signalled their desire to see “Alita” continue her adventures. However, producer Jon Landau has offered new hope for Alita’s return…
Alita’s Loyal Army
Speaking to Sean O’Connell of Cinemablend, Landau commended the efforts of fans to campaign for Alita to continue (with a Change.org petition live counter currently boasting over 130,500 signatures as of this writing -and yep you can vote too!).
Following the Fox-Disney merger, Landau encouraged fans to continue their efforts in the latter’s direction, stating: “What I think the Alita Army should do is keep peppering our family now at Disney and [let them know] how important it is to have another Alita movie and hopefully we’ll venture there one day.”
Landau also stated that Cameron had envisioned his intent for Alita’s continued story prior to the first film, saying: “When Jim [Cameron] was going to direct us, which he was at point, in his mind he had plotted out two additional stories of where we would go very specifically.”
When asked about the possibility of Alita continuing on the new Disney + streaming platform, Landau also stated: “Well, I won’t speak specifically about Alita. I would just tell you that I think Jim [Cameron] and I love the opportunities that streaming and these other avenues of distribution are offering people today. And you know, we would love to get into those playgrounds and play in them, no matter what the title is.”
Pushing the Boundaries of Action…
Upon its release in February, “Alita: Battle Angel” would boast some of the most ambitious use of motion capture to date in Rosa Salazar’s performance as the title character along with an entire world full of cyborg assassins. The movie’s visual splendor was further seen in the dystopian world of Iron City, while crafting incredible action sequences with the cutthroat sport of Motorball and Alita’s mastery of the cyborg martial art known as “Panzer Kunst” (German for “Armored Art”.)
Disney is Listening to the Fans – so cast your vote!
Director Robert Rodriguez (who helmed the film due to Cameron’s commitments to the “Avatar” sequels, with Cameron producing and co-writing)has expressed enthusiasm, for returning to the world of Alita,as has Rosa Salazar. Undoubtedly, the massive scale of the Fox-Disney merger would slow down any major decision-making within the studio, a fact Salazar herself has acknowledged. That being said, James Cameron carries no shortage of clout, and the “Avatar” sequels being released under the Disney banner opens many avenues for Alita’s to continue,as outlined earlier this year by Mark Hughes of Forbes.
Ultimately, however, Landau’s words indicate that Alita’s next adventure comes down to Disney seeing the passion of the growing Alita Army. So, in the words of Rosa Salazar herself, buy those Blu-rays, baby!
