On initial release in 2019, Alita: Battle Angel wasn’t quite a smash success, either at the box office or with critics. But with the combined might of writer-producer James Cameron and director Robert Rodriguez, and some dazzling visual effects and action, the film still developed a formidable fan base, known as the Alita Army – all keen to see the second part of Alita’s story make its way to the big screen, even going so far as to fly a plane over the red carpet at the Oscars 2020 with a banner campaigning for a follow-up. While the first film’s $404 million box office haul wasn’t enough to guarantee a sequel, Rodriguez himself says it isn’t off the table yet.
Speaking to Forbes, Rodriguez reckons it’s still “possible” that Alita 2 could happen, perhaps in the wake of Disney’s acquisition of Fox. “I think anything is possible,” he says. “Disney bought Fox, and they have Disney+, so that is worth the conversation. I know other people would love to see another, and I would love to do another one. As far as where it would go or how it would be made, I think streaming has opened up many opportunities such as sequels. It’s already a pre-sold concept, it’s already got a built-in audience that wants to see it, and then it’s delivered to them in a way that’s the easiest for them to consume. So, it’s not a bad idea.”
Robot-fingers crossed. Rodriguez himself has been hard at work in the two years since Alita: Battle Angel’s debut. His 2020 Netflix release We Can Be Heroes has already got a sequel in the works, he helmed a Boba Fett-centric episode of The Mandalorian Season 2 – and he’s down as a producer on Star Wars spin-off series The Book of Boba Fett. Plus, he also spoke to Forbes about an upcoming 4K restoration of From Dusk Till Dawn. “I actually just finished a colour correction for a 4K version,” he said. “It looks gorgeous. It was cool to see. I can’t wait for that to come out to celebrate the anniversary.” Plenty for fans to look forward to, then – just don’t make us wait too long for a Spy Kids reboot.