The first Alita movie took many years to hit the big screen, and now, the sequel is taking just as long. So, what’s happening with Alita: Battle Angel? Here’s everything you need to know.
Alita: Battle Angel is a fascinating movie. Produced by James Cameron and directed by Robert Rodriguez, the 2019 quasi-superhero movie isn’t universally loved, but it has gained somewhat of a cult following in recent years.
Thanks to an impressive box office haul prior to the pandemic – $405 million worldwide – its distinctive style and epic story have managed to make a mark on pop culture. However, the action movie didn’t do well enough initially to guarantee a sequel, much to the disappointment of the self-named “Alita Army.”
But now that’s set to change – in fact there’s been more and more talk about a new movie. So, here’s everything we know about Alita: Battle Angel 2.
Is there a release date?
There is no official release date at the moment, but we anticipate Alita 2 will arrive in 2026 at some point.
The thing is, everyone wants it to happen. Robert Rodriguez has teased it, the star of the movie, Rosa Salazar is very keen to reprise her role, and James Cameron has explicitly stated he has two sequels in development for Alita.
Naturally, Cameron has his hands full with the Avatar 3 release date, but he’s incredibly passionate about Alita too. And, after the box office success of Avatar 2, it’s pretty obvious that what Cameron wants, he gets.
Still, the creation of a film like Alita 2 would take quite some time, given all the CGI work involved. So, if things get moving soon, we could see Alita return for summer blockbuster season in 2026.
One potential delay to any plans to green light Alita 2 is the death of super producer, Jon Landau on July 5, 2024. He served as producer on the first movie, and has been a long-time collaborator of Cameron’s.
Losing the influence and skills of someone like Landau would harm any production, but hopefully Cameron can get things going without him.
Who would star in the movie?
Right now there is no confirmed cast for any Alita sequel, but we would expect the big names to return. That means Rosa Salazar, Christoph Waltz, and Jennifer Connelly would be back for more.
Salazar has been very open about her willingness to go again, so she is basically locked in. Of her supporting cast from the first movie, the only character and actor unlikely to return is Vector. Played by Mahershala Ali, we saw Vector die in the first film, and his story is almost certainly over.
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One huge name who would be very likely to get involved more for the sequel is Edward Norton. He was revealed to be the big bad, Nova, at the end of the first Alita movie, and he should have a much bigger role to play next time.
Here’s the potential cast for Alita: Battle Angel 2:
- Rosa Salazar as Alita
- Christoph Waltz as Dr. Dyson Ido
- Jennifer Connelly as Dr. Chiren
- Edward Norton as Nova
- Ed Skrein as Zapan
- Jackie Earle Haley as Grewishka
- Keean Johnson as Hugo
- Jorge Lendeborg Jr. as Tanji
What could happen in the next movie?
There is currently no official plot for Alita 2, but it will likely follow on from the first film, and see Alita travel to Zalem to defeat Nova.
At the end of the first movie, we saw Nova looking down on Alita’s world from up high. But, with her love interest, Hugo, chopped up into little pieces, Alita has her sights set on getting revenge. There’s a chance Alita will simply repair Hugo, but it would be far more fun to see her unleash her fury on Nova.
Rodriguez, while not hinting at anything, revealed that Cameron had already outlined general storylines for Alita: Battle Angel 2. To Collider, he said: “[James Cameron] and I have been talking that we always wanted to do an ‘Alita’ sequel. He outlined, very thoroughly, a second and a third film, so there’s already material there.”
Is there a trailer?
As the sequel is not yet in production, there is currently no promotional footage for an Alita: Battle Angel sequel.
For now, check out the trailer for the first movie, to remind yourself of what happened:
If you need more of a refresher, you could always watch the first Alita movie on Disney Plus.
Until we know more about Alita: Battle Angel 2, why not dive into more sci-fi worlds with our guide to Stranger Things Season 5, or get more epic action from One Punch Man Season 3. You can also learn about the best new movies streaming this month, with a focus on the best new releases on Disney Plus.
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