The first major blockbuster of 2019 came in the form of Alita: Battle Angel – the James Cameron-produced, Robert Rodriguez-directed adaptation of a classic cyborg manga. With some lush world-building, slick fight scenes and emotive character work, the finished film certainly had its moments, but the final reel showed that Alita’s story is far from over. Commercially, the film pulled in just over $400 million worldwide – a figure that puts it in sequel limbo, far from a flop but also not a guaranteed part-two money-spinner. And while there's been no announcement of a follow-up, lead star Rosa Salazar would be more than up for returning in a sequel.
Speaking to SlashFilm, she spoke enthusiastically about the opportunity of returning to the character. “I would play Alita ’til my last breath,” she said, adding that the CGI nature of the cyborg warrior means a second film wouldn’t be subject to the usual time pressures. “I would, and thanks to the performance capture technology, I probably could.” Among other factors, Salazar partially attributes the lack of news on a sequel to the Disney-Fox merger, which has meant all kinds of upheaval across the studio – and not the most ideal time to enquire about a second Alita. But if there’s any way for fans to further support their desire for a sequel, it’s to make the home release a hit. “Not yet, but buy those Blu-rays,” she says.
Alita might not have been an unqualified success commercially or artistically, but there’s more than enough potential in the world and the ongoing journey of the character for a second part. Stay tuned for any news on that, good or bad.