Since acquiring the rights back in 1999, James Cameron proclaimed that he would adapt Yukito Kishiro’s Japanese manga and anime series ‘Battle Angel Alita’ into a feature film. In 2012, despite being very busy with the ‘Avatar’ sequels, the iconic filmmaker refused to give up the director’s chair because it would “have to be pried out of my cold, dead fingers. But on the other hand I don’t want to take it to my grave, either.” Cameron acquiesced in 2015 by relegating himself to the role of producer and bringing in ‘From Dusk Till Dawn’ and ‘Sin City’ director Robert Rodriguez to helm the futuristic sci-fi action story about a young female cyborg that becomes a bounty hunter. And even though principal photography has concluded, it appears that there are even more announcements to be made regarding the star-studded cast.
Previously, we learned that Rosa Salazar, Christoph Waltz, Jackie Earle Haley, Ed Skrein, Keean Johnson, and newly crowned Oscar winner Mahershala Ali would all be starring in the upcoming ‘Battle Angel’ adaptation. Then a few weeks ago, it was revealed that Jennifer Connelly from ‘A Beautiful Mind’ and ‘Blood Diamond’ had also joined the cast. But most recently, the cast became more fast and furious as Entertainment Weekly announced that Michelle Rodriguez was the latest addition to an already excellent ensemble. The actress best known for her work in ‘Machete’, ‘Avatar’, and the ‘Fast & Furious’ franchise plays Gelda, another cyborg warrior with a connection to Alita’s past.
With the film currently in post-production, one has to wonder if any other big names are being kept secret as well. For all we know, there could be some other extremely talented voices waiting in the wings and biding their time until they’re officially revealed. Until we learn what else Robert Rodriguez and James Cameron have up their sleeves, let us know what you think about this latest casting announcement for ‘Alita: Battle Angel’ in the comments.
‘Alita: Battle Angel’ starring Rosa Salazar, Christoph Waltz, Jackie Earle Haley, Ed Skrein, Keean Johnson, Mahershala Ali, Jennifer Connelly, and Michelle Rodriguez hits theaters on July 20th, 2018.
Despite being a “professional writer”, Ben likes run-on sentences far too much. For more of his attempts at being funny and the occasional insightful thought, follow him on Twitter and Instagram.
