What makes a film epic? Many people say you can consider a movie a promising one if it has a compelling story, a superb cast, a renowned director and producer, as well as hefty amount of budget to deliver all the graphics, animation effects, and production it needs.
That’s why when the public heard that the renowned director James Cameron responsible for epic films like Titanic and Avatar paired with director Robert Rodriguez to adapt the classic manga-series Alita: Battle Angel, the stakes are high not only in breaking box-office records but also in living up to everyone’s expectation.
The Story
The epic story follows a catastrophic war that happened in the year 2563 that left the planet Earth in shambles. After “The Fall,” a cyborg scientist names Dr. Dyson was scouting the Iron City when he discovered a female cyborg with disembodied parts. However, her human brain remains fully intact, and the scientist decided to rescue and rebuild her.
The scientist named the cyborg Alita in honor of his deceased daughter when she revealed she didn’t have memories of the past. As she tries to navigate and assimilate in her new life, she finds herself traversing through the treacherous metropolis of the Iron City as a “Hunter Warrior” while trying to uncover her past and save the people she’d grown to love from death and destruction.
The Pitch
According to Hollywood sources, Alita got pitched in 2003. However, the actual production got delayed for years due to Cameron’s hectic schedule in working on Avatar as well as its sequel films. However, Cameron reveals he’s working on the film’s script despite the production delays.
The film made a follow-up announcement in April 2016 when they tapped Rodriguez to become the film’s director. A month later, Rosa Salazar accepted the role of the female protagonist of the film. The official photography started from October 2016 – February 2017 in Austin, Texas, until it was finally released this 2019.
The Star-studded Cast
Lead by the renowned Hollywood actress Rosa Salazar as Alita. The producers didn’t hold back in picking the powerful cast to realize the film.
- Christoph Waltz portrayed the role of the renowned Cyborg scientist Dr. Dryson Ido who rescued Alita and became her caretaker.
- Jennifer Connelly, meanwhile, played Ido’s ex-wife named Chiren.
- Keean Johnson played Alita’s love interest, Hugo, who taught her to play Motorball, a favorite gladiator-style game to become a Hunter Warrior.
- Mahershala Ali played Victor and Edward Norton as Nova. The former is an entrepreneur who earns money from designing Motorball combat suits. Meanwhile, Nova bears the ability to transfer his consciousness from one body to another. The latter’s power enables him to control Grewishka’s bodies as well as Victor.
- Ed Skrein plays as the main villain as the cyborg bounty hunter who’s tasked to hunt Alita down.
- Jackie Earle Haley serves as Nova’s assassin based on Battle Angel OVA.
- Michelle Rodriguez played as Gelda who became Alita’s trainer. She came from Mars who’s also a cyborg warrior.
- Lana Condor played Koyomi who was an orphaned teen that later on became a freelance photographer as her profession.
The Production
According to Cameron, the action-packed movie spent an astounding $200 million to produce the film in its full grandeur. Cameron first wrote the script before passing it to Rodriguez. During the premiere night last Thursday in Los Angeles, Cameron said Alita: Battle Angel hails as the flagship film for battle-cruiser genre.
He also says they’re willing to make two more movies (a trilogy) if they receive positive remarks and feedback from the moviegoers. Meanwhile, director Robert Rodriguez says while the hype remains strong after critics gave critical reviews about the movie, he hopes the fans of both films and manga will have a great time watching the film. If it deems successful, the fans can expect more films of the said franchise.
