ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL trailer – James Cameron & Robert Rodriguez bring popular Manga to life

ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL trailer – James Cameron & Robert Rodriguez bring popular Manga to life

For those unfamiliar, “Battle Angel Alita”, known in Japan as Gunnm (translates to “gun dream”), is a manga series created by Yukito Kishiro in 1990 and originally published in Shueisha’s Business Jump magazine. For almost three decades, James Cameron has been talking about how he wanted to make a live-action version of the popular Manga tale. Now, we’re finally getting ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL, and the execution is very unusual. The lead character is a cyborg, and there are other cyborgs in the film, and while there are some pretty big name actors playing key roles, the cyborgs are being done with CGI – Alita herself is 100% CGI, though voiced by Rosa Salazar. Robert Rodriguez is directing, with Cameron serving as producer and co-writer. The cast also includes Christoph Waltz, Jennifer Connelly, Mahershala Ali, Ed Skrein, Jackie Earle Haley, and Keean Johnson. I’m not sure how to feel about this, and I have no doubt that much like GHOST IN THE SHELL, there will be complaints that none of the lead characters are Japanese actors… in fact there doesn’t appear to be any Japanese actors in the principal cast, which seems like an obvious misstep. No offense to Rosa Salazar, but considering she’s more heard than seen, why not cast THAT character with an actress from Japan? Oh well, tell us your thoughts in the comments.

Visionary filmmakers James Cameron (AVATAR) and Robert Rodriguez (SIN CITY) create a groundbreaking new heroine in ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL, an action-packed story of hope, love and empowerment. Set several centuries in the future, the abandoned Alita (Rosa Salazar) is found in the scrapyard of Iron City by Ido (Christoph Waltz), a compassionate cyber-doctor who takes the unconscious cyborg Alita to his clinic. When Alita awakens she has no memory of who she is, nor does she have any recognition of the world she finds herself in. Everything is new to Alita, every experience a first. As she learns to navigate her new life and the treacherous streets of Iron City, Ido tries to shield Alita from her mysterious past while her street-smart new friend, Hugo (Keean Johnson), offers instead to help trigger her memories. A growing affection develops between the two until deadly forces come after Alita and threaten her newfound relationships. It is then that Alita discovers she has extraordinary fighting abilities that could be used to save the friends and family she’s grown to love. Determined to uncover the truth behind her origin, Alita sets out on a journey that will lead her to take on the injustices of this dark, corrupt world, and discover that one young woman can change the world in which she lives.

ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL opens July 20, 2018

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About the Author

Born and raised in Dallas, Mark has been a movie critic since 1994, with reviews featured in print, radio and National TV. In 2001 he started the Entertainment section of the Herorealm website, where he contributed film reviews and celebrity interviews until 2004. After three years of service there, he started Bigfanboy.com, which has become one of the Dallas film community's leading information websites. Bigfanboy hosts several movie screenings in the Texas area, and works closely with film and TV studios and promotional partners to host exciting events and contests. The site also features a variety of rare celebrity and filmmaker interviews, and Bigfanboy.com regularly covers the film festival circuit as well. In addition to Hollywood reporting, Mark has worked for many years as an advertising and sci-fi/comic book artist. Clients have included Lucasfilm Ltd., Topps Trading Cards, The Dallas Mavericks and The Dallas Stars. From 2002 until 2015 he managed the Dallas Comic Con, Sci-Fi Expo and Fan Days events in the DFW area. He currently catalogs rare comic books and movie memorabilia for Heritage Auctions, and runs the Dallas Comic Show conventions, but remains an avid moviegoer and cinema buff.