MOVIE NEWS – It has been six long years since fans started asking for a follow up to Alita: Battle Angel, and James Cameron has finally given them a fresh reason to hope. It is not a release date or a formal announcement, more of a pledge, but his comments suggest that not just one, but potentially two new films are being mapped out behind the scenes.

James Cameron is not the kind of filmmaker who drops a new movie every year, unlike some of his colleagues (yes, Ridley Scott, that glance is for you). Ever since he plunged headfirst into the Avatar universe, the director has had very little room to shoot anything that does not involve blue aliens, and only rarely has he been able to produce films outside that sci-fi saga. One of those rare exceptions is Robert Rodriguez’s Alita: Battle Angel, a film whose fans have been clamoring for a sequel for six years, and which now finally seems a little closer to becoming real.

As has been reported recently, the Canadian filmmaker has been fascinated by the metal-armed girl at the center of the story ever since Guillermo del Toro introduced her to him in anime form more than 30 years ago. Cameron always dreamed of bringing the character to the big screen, and although he ultimately did not direct the adaptation himself, he pushed the project forward as a producer, with Robert Rodriguez in the director’s chair. The result was warmly received: it did not reach the box office heights of the two Avatar films, but it did create a loyal following that has kept the flame alive on social media, rallying every few months to demand another movie.

So it is no surprise that the director and his partners are regularly asked about a possible sequel. This time it was James Cameron himself who, in the middle of the press tour for Avatar: Fire and Ashes, wanted to reassure the community that he has not forgotten Alita. In fact, he reminded everyone that he made a promise, and that promises are meant to be honored: “I appreciate the loyalty of Alita fans. Robert Rodriguez and I have made a blood oath to make at least one more Alita film. In fact, we’re thinking about a structure that would bridge the gap to a third film, but we’ll be satisfied if we can make one more. And we’re making progress on that.”

This Time It Sounds Like More Than Empty Promises

Speaking to Empire, Cameron went a step further and explained that circumstances are now more favorable than before: “Now that I have a house in Austin, Texas, about three miles from where [Robert] lives, I think we’ll probably get more serious about that as soon as the mixing is finished here in a few weeks.” In other words, not only is a second film still on the table, his long term idea involves a full trilogy. If things work out that way, fans might not have to wait another six years after Alita: Battle Angel 2 eventually arrives.

For now, though, everything remains in the realm of plans and promises. What is clear is that the first film is a terrific sci fi action movie that more people should discover or revisit. It is currently available on Disney+, which could help bring in new viewers and add energy to a fanbase that has never stopped asking for a continuation of Alita’s story.

Alita: Battle Angel is a science fiction action film based on the manga GUNNM, created by Yukito Kishiro and originally published between 1991 and 1995. It follows a memoryless cyborg, found in a scrapyard and rebuilt, who uses her combat skills to stand up to corrupt authorities in a dystopian future. The movie grossed more than 400 million dollars worldwide and, as these latest statements show, has built a devoted community that could help keep sequel plans moving forward.

Source: 3djuegos