Maika Monroe, Rosa Salazar, Zendaya and Bella Thorne are all said to be in the running for the Alita: Battle Angel lead
In development for years and years, Twentieth Century Fox is finally moving forward with plans for Alita: Battle Angel. As reported last fall, James Cameron and Jon Landau will produce the manga adaptation under their Lightstorm Entertainment banner with Robert Rodriguez (From Dusk Till Dawn, Sin City) set to direct. Now, The Hollywood Reporter brings word that three names have emerged to potentially play the Alita: Battle Angel lead. Those names include Maikia Monroe (It Follows, Independence Day Resurgence), Rosa Salazar (The Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials, Man Seeking Woman) and Zendaya (K.C. Undercover, Spider-Man: Homecoming).
UPDATE: The trade has added Bella Thorne (The DUFF, Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip) to their list of names being looked at for the Alita role. It is also said that Zendaya’s commitments to Spider-Man and other projects could push her out of the running.
Set in the 26th century, Alita: Battle Angel tells the story of Alita, an amnesiac female cyborg who is rescued from a scrapyard by a doctor. The rebuilt Alita, remembering only her training in a deadly martial art, becomes a hunter-warrior, tracking down and eliminating vicious criminals. Within the context of an epic action-adventure, the film will explore a young woman’s journey of self-discovery and finding love.
“Robert and I have been looking for a film to do together for years,” Cameron said when the film was officially announced back in October. “So I was pumped when he said he wanted to do Battle Angel. He’s very collaborative and we’re already like two kids building a go-kart, just having fun riffing creatively and technically. This project is near and dear to me, and there’s nobody I trust more than Robert, with his technical virtuosity and rebel style, to take over the directing reins. We’re looking forward to learning a lot from each other while we make a kick-ass epic.”
“Battle Angel is an incredibly rich and vibrant epic in the tradition of Jim Cameron’s spectacular, character-driven films,” Rodriguez added. “Getting to work from Jim’s terrific and visionary script while learning the cutting edge techniques he’s pioneered is a master class in filmmaking. It’s an honor to explore the world of Alita along with Jim and Jon, whose films have impacted me for decades.”
Cameron has been developing the big screen adaptation of the manga series for over 10 years, but now that the director is in pre-production on four Avatar sequels, he has his hands a little full.
Who would you cast in the Alita: Battle Angel lead? Let us know in the comments below and check back for more information on the film as it becomes available.
(Photo Credit: Brian To / Tony Forte / FayesVision / PNP / WENN.com)
