James Cameron tried for decades to adapt Yukito Kishiro’s cyberpunk manga “Battle Angel Alita” (also known as “GUNNM”). However the challenges of directing the “Avatar” series resulted in directorial duties for “Alita: Battle Angel” going to Robert Rodriguez, with Cameron staying onboard as a producer and co-writer.
The ambitious 2019 sci-fi film ends on a note clearly open for continuation, with the titular heroine (Rosa Salazar) swearing revenge on the sky city of Zalem. Seven years later, fans are still waiting on that sequel, and Cameron and Rodriguez are still trying to make it happen. In a 2025 interview featured with Empire, Cameron boldly promised, “Robert Rodriguez and I have sworn a blood oath to do at least one more ‘Alita’ movie. In fact, we’re thinking of an architecture that bridges to a third film, but we’ll be satisfied if we can make one more. And we’re making progress on that.”
Salazar remains enthusiastic about the role, telling Collider in October 2025 that she’s “always bringing up ‘Alita,'” and that the sequel “still might [happen].” She even tried her hand at writing a treatment for the prospective follow-up — which probably won’t be the won’t produced, but Cameron described as “very cool!”
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Why it’s taken so long for an Alita squel
Alita standing in fighting area in “Alita: Battle Angel” (2019) – 20th Century Studios
The uncertainty about whether “Alita: Battle Angel” will get a sequel has a lot to do with determining if the first could even be considered a success. It didn’t do great in the U.S., grossing only $85.8 million, but did much better internationally where it gathered nearly $320 million for a global total of $404.9 million. Whether or not the $170 million production turned a profit or not depends on which figures you believe. While not a disastrous bomb, it wasn’t a clear hit either.
Working in a sequel’s favor is the sheer power of producer James Cameron, as well as the passionate “Alita Army” fan community, who notice all sorts of small details in the film. Working against it, at least in the immediate aftermath of the first film’s mixed results, was uncertainty around the Disney-Fox merger. Christoph Waltz, who played Alita’s father figure Dr. Dyson Ido, speculated in a 2020 Collider interview that the movie might not fit with Disney’s agenda for 20th Century Studios.
When asked about a sequel in 2021 by The Nerdy Basement, Robert Rodriguez hoped that his time with Disney directing “The Book of Boba Fett” would “knock people’s socks off” and give him more leverage for another “Alita.” While the outcome of “The Book of Boba Fett” was questionable, hope remains alive that Rodriguez and Cameron’s “blood oath” will pay off.
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Read the original article on Looper.
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