James Cameron has been trying to turn the manga Alita: Battle Angel into a movie for at least a decade now. But he’s going to be making Avatar sequels until the sun goes out, so he decided to farm the job out.
The manga, if you’re not familiar, follows a female cyborg found on a trash heap. She’s got amnesia, but she remembers how to kick ass, so kick ass she does as a bounty hunter. Is it a post-apocalyptic setting? You bet it is! Essentially it combines everything Cameron loves: Robots, female warriors, and elaborate fictional societies. Really, it’s kind of amazing he ever got to Avatar.
Anyway, it’s been stalled in development hell for years now, but even Cameron realizes it’s taken too long, so he’s brought in Robert Rodriguez to take over. And really, if anybody can handle the job, it’s Rodriguez: He’s got the technical know-how to deliver a movie like this, and furthermore, keep the budget below, say, a bazillion dollars. Cameron isn’t very good at not spending huge amounts of money, so Fox is probably relieved he put a more frugal filmmaker on the job.
As to when we might see this movie, good question. It’s just been announced, so probably not for a while. But Fox could use a big-action franchise, so don’t expect the Battle Angel to stay in the shop for much longer.
(Via Deadline)