Alita: Battle Angel

Alita: Battle Angel
Directed by Robert Rodriguez
Produced by
Screenplay by Laeta Kalogridis
Based on Battle Angel Alita
by Yukito Kishiro
Starring
Production
company
Distributed by 20th Century Fox
Release dates
  • July 20, 2018 (2018-07-20) (United States)
Country United States
Language English

Alita: Battle Angel is an upcoming American science fiction film based on Yukito Kishiro's Battle Angel Alita manga, set to be released on July 20, 2018. The film is produced by James Cameron and Jon Landau, and Robert Rodriguez has signed on to direct the film based on a script written by Laeta Kalogridis. Production and release has been delayed repeatedly due to Cameron's work on Avatar and its sequels.

Plot

James Cameron has stated that he intends to adapt "the spine story" of Yukito Kishiro's original manga, with a specific focus on the first four books.[2] He especially wants to include the fictional sport "motorball" from the fourth volume.[3][4]

Cast

Production

Development

Yukito Kishiro's Battle Angel Alita manga was originally brought to James Cameron's attention by filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, and Cameron immediately became enamored with the concept.[15]

The film is produced by James Cameron (left) and Jon Landau (right)

The domain name battleangelalita.com was registered to James Cameron by 20th Century Fox around June 2000.[16] Fox also registered the battleangelmovie.com domain.[17] In April 2003, it was reported by Moviehole that Cameron had confirmed he would direct a Battle Angel Alita movie.[18] Cameron confirmed that a script for the film was in production during an interview on the Tokudane! program on Fuji TV on May 4, 2003.[19] It was scheduled to be his next film, after Aliens of the Deep in January 2005.[20]

In June 2005, The Hollywood Reporter claimed that the film was being delayed while Cameron developed a film known as "Project 880",[21] which would later be renamed Avatar.[22] Entertainment Weekly ran an interview in February 2006 in which Cameron stated that his deal with 20th Century Fox was that he produce both movies.[23] The article also claimed that Battle Angel was slated to be released in September 2009.[23] In June 2006, Cameron commented that Battle Angel was the second of two planned film trilogies he was developing, with the first being Avatar.[24]

In May 2008, Cameron indicated he would be working on a film titled The Dive, a biography of freedivers Francisco Ferreras and Audrey Mestre,[25] thus delaying the film again. That July, at the San Diego Comic-Con International, he reiterated that he was still committed to making the film.[26]

In December 2009, Cameron commented during an interview with MTV News that a script for the film had been completed.[27]

In February 2010, producer Jon Landau commented during an interview that he was trying to convince Cameron to change the film's title to Alita: Battle Angel; "I'm telling people that we have to call it 'Alita: Battle Angel,' because Jim only does T&A movies", he said.[lower-alpha 1][15] Landau also revealed that screenwriter Laeta Kalogridis had worked on writing the film.[15]

In August 2010, just before the theatrical release of Avatar, Cameron stated that the film was "still on [his] radar", but he didn't know when he would make it.[22] However, in October, he confirmed that his next films would be two Avatar sequels instead of Battle Angel.[28] He still stated that he did not intend to abandon the film, stating that he loved the project too much to hand it off to another director,[2] but reiterated in June 2011 that it would not be produced until the two Avatar sequels were completed,[29] stating that "...Battle Angel is not going to happen for a few years."[30] According to Cameron, his reason for producing Avatar first is because he believes that the film can raise public awareness of the need for environmental protection.[31]

Director Robert Rodriguez

During an interview with Alfonso Cuarón in July 2013, he set 2017 as the date at which production on the film would begin.[32]

In October 2015, The Hollywood Reporter reported that director Robert Rodriguez was in negotiations to direct the film, now titled Alita: Battle Angel, and Cameron would now be attached as a producer alongside Jon Landau.[33]

In April 2016, The Hollywood Reporter reported that the 20th Century Fox had not yet greenlit the film, as they were attempting to reduce the budget to something below $175–$200 million.[34] The article also reported that Rodriguez had been signed as director.[34]

In late May 2016, Fox scheduled the film for a July 20, 2018 release date.[35]

Pre-production

The film will be produced with the same mix of live-action and computer-generated imagery that Cameron used in Avatar.[27] Specifically, Cameron intends to render the main character, Alita, completely in CGI.[20] Cameron has stated that he will make use of technologies developed for Avatar to produce the film, such as the Fusion Camera System, facial performance capture, and the Simulcam.[36]

In May 2006, Variety reported that Cameron had spent the past ten months developing technology to produce the film.[37]

In October 2008, Mark Goerner, a digital artist who had worked on the film for a year and a half, commented that pre-production work on the film was mostly finished.[38]

Casting

An April 2016 article in The Hollywood Reporter reported that Maika Monroe, Rosa Salazar, and Zendaya were among the final actresses being considered to take the role of Alita in the film, with a decision due within a few weeks.[34] The article reported that Zendaya's former co-star Bella Thorne had also auditioned for the role.[34] Near the end of May 2016, Collider.com reported that Salazar had been chosen.[5]

In August 2016, The Hollywood Reporter reported that Christoph Waltz was in negotiations to play Doctor Dyson Ido,[10] the equivalent of Daisuke Ido from the original manga.[39] On September 14, 2016, The Hollywood Reporter reported that Jackie Earle Haley had been cast as a cyborg villain.[11] On September 21, 2016, Variety reported that Ed Skrein was in talks for a role in the film;[40] The Hollywood Reporter later reported that he had been cast as a villain named Zapan.[7]

On September 30, 2016, Keean Johnson was reported to have been cast in the film to play Hugo, a young man and Alita's love interest, who also teaches her to play a gladiator-style game called Motorball.[6] The studio also considered Avan Jogia, Douglas Booth, Jack Lowden, and Noah Silver for the role, but decided on Johnson because they were looking for someone more "ethnically ambiguous".[6] On October 3, 2016, The Hollywood Reporter reported that Mahershala Ali was in talks for the villainous role of Vector, a man who rigs Motorball combat matches.[8]

On October 5, 2016, it was reported that Eiza González had joined the film.[12] Jorge Lendeborg Jr. was announced for a role in the film on October 7, 2016. He will play Hugo's friend.[13] Lana Condor was reported to have joined the cast on October 11, 2016, portraying Koyomi.[9] On October 18, 2016, Leonard Wu was cast in the film to play the Kinuba cyborg character.[14]

Filming

The film began shooting in Austin, Texas on October 17, 2016, and will continue filming until February 9, 2017.[41][11]

Release

The film is set to be released on July 20, 2018,[35] and will be screened in IMAX theaters.[42]

Notes

  1. ↑ Landau is referring to the fact that most of Cameron's other films have had titles starting with either a T or an A, such as Titanic, Aliens, The Terminator, The Abyss, True Lies, and Avatar.

References

  1. ↑ McNary, Dave (May 27, 2016). "'Maze Runner' Star Rosa Salazar to Topline James Cameron's 'Alita: Battle Angel'". Variety. Retrieved June 6, 2016.
  2. 1 2 Daniels, Hunter (January 31, 2011). "BATTLE ANGEL Update from James Cameron". Collider.com. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
  3. ↑ Carroll, Larry (March 1, 2010). "James Cameron Wants 3-D 'Battle Angel Alita' Motorball Scenes, Will Focus On Early Chapters Of Series". MTV News. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
  4. ↑ "Cameron Still Aims to Direct Battle Angel After Avatar 2/3". Anime News Network. February 1, 2011. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
  5. 1 2 Foutch, Haleigh (May 26, 2016). "Exclusive: Rosa Salazar to Lead 'Battle Angel Alita'". Collider.com. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
  6. 1 2 3 Kit, Borys (September 30, 2016). "'Nashville' Actor Nabs Key Role in 'Alita: Battle Angel' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 1, 2016.
  7. 1 2 Kit, Borys (September 21, 2016). "'Deadpool' Bad Guy Ed Skrein Joins James Cameron's 'Alita: Battle Angel' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 22, 2016.
  8. 1 2 Mueller, Matthew (October 3, 2016). "'Luke Cage' Villain Mahershala Ali in Talks to Join James Cameron's 'Alita: Battle Angel' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter.
  9. 1 2 N'Duka, Amanda (October 11, 2016). "'X-Men' Actress Lana Condor Joins 'Alita: Battle Angel'; 'Pacific Rim' Sequel Adds Ivanna Sakhno". Deadline.com.
  10. 1 2 Kit, Borys (August 24, 2016). "Christoph Waltz in Talks to Star in James Cameron's 'Alita: Battle Angel' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 24, 2016.
  11. 1 2 3 Kit, Borys (September 14, 2016). "James Cameron's 'Alita: Battle Angel' Casts Jackie Earle Haley (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 14, 2016.
  12. 1 2 McNary, Dave (October 5, 2016). "James Cameron's 'Alita: Battle Angel' Adds Eiza Gonzalez". Variety. Retrieved October 6, 2016.
  13. 1 2 Galuppo, Mia (October 7, 2016). "'Alita: Battle Angel' Adds 'Spider-Man: Homecoming' Actor (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 11, 2016.
  14. 1 2 McNary, Dave (October 19, 2016). "Leonard Wu Joins James Cameron's 'Alita: Battle Angel' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved October 22, 2016.
  15. 1 2 3 Carroll, Larry (February 18, 2010). "'Avatar' Producer Says 'Battle Angel Alita' Has A New Name, Will Follow 'Avatar 2'". MTV News. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
  16. ↑ "James Caeron interestd in Alita". Anime News Network. June 27, 2000. Retrieved April 28, 2016.
  17. ↑ "Battle Angel Alita Domains". Anime News Network. January 8, 2001. Retrieved April 28, 2016.
  18. ↑ "Cameron's Alita confirmed?". Anime News Network. April 17, 2003. Retrieved April 28, 2016.
  19. ↑ "Cameron's Alita in pre-production". Anime News Network. May 7, 2003. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
  20. 1 2 "Cameron Talks About Battle Angel". Anime News Network. November 22, 2004. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
  21. ↑ "James Cameron to Delay Battle Angel?". Anime News Network. June 16, 2005. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
  22. 1 2 "James Cameron: Battle Angel Alita 'Still On My Radar'". Anime News Network. August 20, 2010. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
  23. 1 2 "News on Cameron's Battle Angel". Anime News Network. February 19, 2006. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
  24. ↑ Carroll, Larry (June 29, 2006). "'Titanic' Mastermind James Cameron's King-Size Comeback: Two Sci-Fi Trilogies". MTV News. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
  25. ↑ "Cameron Not Planning on Battle Angel after Avatar Film". Anime News Network. May 16, 2008. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
  26. ↑ "Cameron: Still Looking at Battle Angel 'Very Seriously' (Updated)". Anime News Network. July 25, 2009. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
  27. 1 2 Marshall, Rick (December 14, 2009). "'Avatar' Director Offers Update On 'Battle Angel Alita' Adaptation". MTV News. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
  28. ↑ "Cameron's Next Films to Be Avatar 2/3, Not Battle Angel". Anime News Network. October 27, 2010. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
  29. ↑ "Cameron: Battle Angel Still Planned After Avatar 2/3". Anime News Network. June 10, 2011. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
  30. ↑ "EXCLUSIVE: James Cameron is still going to do BATTLE ANGEL ALITA, but not for a while!!!". Ain't It Cool News. May 8, 2012. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
  31. ↑ Schwartz, Terri (April 17, 2012). "James Cameron: 'Avatar' Will Do 'More Good' Than 'Battle Angel'". MTV News. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
  32. ↑ "Cameron: Will Start Developing Battle Angel Alita in 2017". Anime News Network. July 9, 2013. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
  33. ↑ Kit, Borys (October 14, 2015). "James Cameron, Robert Rodriguez Teaming Up for 'Battle Angel Alita' Movie". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
  34. 1 2 3 4 Kit, Borys (April 26, 2016). "Zendaya Among Finalists for James Cameron's 'Battle Angel' Movie (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
  35. 1 2 Chitwood, Adam (May 28, 2016). "Fox Dates 'Alita: Battle Angel'; Shifts 'The Predator' and Two Marvel Movies". Collider.com. Retrieved May 28, 2016.
  36. ↑ "James Cameron Lists Needed Tech for Battle Angel Film". Anime News Network. August 5, 2009. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
  37. ↑ Hendrix, Grady (May 28, 2006). "Manga's the rights fit for majors". Variety. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
  38. ↑ "CG Artist Interviewed on Prelim. Battle Angel Designs". Anime News Network. October 25, 2008. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
  39. ↑ "Christoph Waltz in Talks to Star in James Cameron's Alita: Battle Angel". Anime News Network. August 24, 2016. Retrieved August 24, 2016.
  40. ↑ McNary, Dave (September 21, 2016). "Ed Skrein in Talks to Join James Cameron's 'Alita: Battle Angel'". Variety. Retrieved September 21, 2016.
  41. ↑ "Job Hotline - Crew & Industry Calls - Alita: Battle Angel". Texas Film Commission. Archived from the original on October 11, 2016. Retrieved October 11, 2016.
  42. ↑ Chitwood, Adam (September 27, 2016). "'The Predator', 'Maze Runner', Mystery Marvel Movie and More to Get IMAX Release". Collider.com. Retrieved September 27, 2016.

External links

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