In 2019, Robert Rodriguez adapted the Yukito Kishiro manga series Battle Angel Alita into the cyberpunk action film Alita: Battle Angel. The film also had more than just Rodriguez behind it, as it was based on a screenplay co-written by James Cameron, who also produced it alongside Jon Landau, the man who also produced тιтanic. Finally, it starred Oscar-winning actor Christoph Waltz. With such a big supporting team behind the project, it seemed surprising that the film didn’t spawn the franchise that most people believed it would.

The story takes place in 2563, 300 years after Earth was left in tatters after a war against the United Republic of Mars. Waltz plays a scientist named Dr. Dyson, a scavenger who finds a disembodied female cyborg with an intact human brain. He brings her back to life, naming her Alita after his late daughter. The movie then follows Alita as she takes part in a compeтιтion called Motorball while running from an organization that robs cyborgs of their best parts for the government. Years later, there has still never been an Alita sequel.

Alita: Battle Angel Was Actually Great

Alita Was A Perfect Set-Up For The Live-Action Manga World

There is a misconception that Alita: Battle Angel was a box office failure, which is why it never earned a sequel. However, that is far from the truth. The budget was high for a Robert Rodriguez movie, between $150 and $200 million, but it still made $405 million worldwide, the most ever for a Rodriguez-directed film. However, it only made $85.8 million in the United States, which might have caused Hollywood to hold off on sequels. That is disappointing because Alita: Battle Angel was a great movie.

This is a case where the audience’s reception to the film is much higher than that of critics, but they didn’t discover it until streaming. However, not even critics’ scores were terrible, as it has an above-average rating on both Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic. Most audience reviews on Rotten Tomatoes praise the film’s visuals and action scenes, but viewers were disappointed with the ending. However, that is where the problem lies. Alita: Battle Angel set up a sequel with a great first movie., but nothing has been done to move the story since then.

What A Sequel To Alita: Battle Angel Could Look Like

There Are Several Manga Stories That Could Provide Inspiration

Alita: Battle Angel ends with several unresolved plot points, which opened up the world for future sequels. When the first movie ended, it felt more like a prologue to future stories while ending the film on a satisfying note. With Alita discovering herself in the first film, there is much to explore in this world. The entire theme of the story, being about idenтιтy and the sense of humanity, could play into a deeply satisfying movie world, from the Scrapyard to the city of Zalem. There are also plenty of stories from the manga to fall back on.

The first movie introduces the villain Nova, played by Edward Norton, and he is likely to provide the overarching villain for Alita to battle as the series progresses. The only way that Alita can achieve her ultimate goal of avenging Hugo (Keean Johnson)’s death is by becoming the Final Champion in Motorball and getting her hands on Nova. This also means she must get through Jashugan (Jai Courtney). The sequel could also focus on her role as a Hunter-Warrior, possibly bringing back Michelle Rodriguez as Gelda.

What’s Known About A Potential Alita: Battle Angel Sequel

Everyone Wants To Make A Sequel, But One Man Is Stalling Production

One interesting thing to note about the Alita: Battle Angel sequel is that most people involved in the original want to see a second movie, including Robert Rodriguez and James Cameron. However, it seems it isn’t in the works because Cameron is too busy with his Avatar franchise. However, not only do the director and co-screenwriter want to bring more of Alita’s story to the big screen, but actor Rosa Salazar has said she is ready to return to the franchise.

There is also a chance that the sequels could fix one of the main problems with the first film. The advancement in visual effects in just the last five years could go a long way to fixing Alita’s weird appearance, from her eyes to the uncanny valley look of her and other cyborgs in the first movie. Alita: Battle Angel has built a large cult following, and a sequel could improve on the first film’s numbers. However, until James Cameron gives the go, there is little chance a sequel will come anytime soon.

Source: Rotten Tomatoes