For over 13 years, director James Cameron has been trying to bring an adaptation of Yukito Kishiro’s classic manga series Battle Angel Alita to the big screen. Last fall, Cameron stepped aside as the director to focus on the Avatar sequels, and Robert Rodriguez came on board to replace him. Cameron remained with the project as an executive producer, and now it appears that title character has finally been cast.
Collider is reporting that Rosa Salazar has been chosen to headline Alita: Battle Angel, although it’s unclear if that will remain the title of the film. Salazar was said to be one of the three finalists for the role of Alita alongside Maika Monroe and Zendaya before she was apparently declared the winner. Rodriguez confirmed the report with the following tweet:
Excited that @rosa_salazar will be taking the lead in @JimCameron and my adaptation of #ALITABATTLEANGEL pic.twitter.com/t03S3luRx5
— Robert Rodriguez (@Rodriguez) May 27, 2016
The title character of Battle Angel Alita was a female cyborg who was found in a 26th century scrapyard without any memories of her life before that moment. With her innate fighting skills, Alita became a bounty hunter who was infamous for going after the deadliest criminals. The original Battle Angel Alita manga was first published in 1990, and it has spawned several sequel series and an anime adaptation.
Although Salazar has only been active as a professional actress for six years, she’s already established herself in the YA genre in Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials and The Divergent Series: Insurgent. Salazar also has a recurring role on Man Seeking Woman and she previously appeared on NBC’s Parenthood.
There’s currently no announced time table for Alita: Battle Angel to begin production, but the casting news suggests that it may be in the near future.
Are you excited to see Salazar become Alita in the Battle Angel movie? Spread your wings and share your thoughts in the comment section below!
Image:Â 20th Century Fox
