Last month, a report surfaced claiming producerJames Cameronand directorRobert Rodriguezwere eyeing four actresses for their long-awaited adaptationAlita: Battle Angel. The four candidates wereZendaya Coleman(Spider-Man: Homecoming),Bella Thorne(The DUFF),Maika Monroe(Independence Day: Resurgence) andRosa Salazar(The Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials). Today, we have word that the director and producer have decided on their leading lady, withRosa Salazarreportedly winning the role.
Previously, sources claimed thatZendaya Colemanmay be the front runner. But that initial report also revealed the actress may have scheduling complications with her hit Disney Channel TV series,K.C. Undercover. This news hasn’t been confirmed by the studio, but our story from last month claimed producers would make their final decision within the next few weeks. And it seems they’ve finally chosen their leading lady. It isn’t clear when production may begin.
It has been stated thatJames CameronandJon LandauwantAlita: Battle Angelto be a “star-making vehicle” for an up and coming young actress, similar to how their TV seriesDark Angellaunched the career ofJessica Alba. The movie still doesn’t have an official green light from 20th Century Fox yet, since the studio is trying to bring the budget down, which is currently between $175 million and $200 million. The studio hasn’t issued a release date, but now that their leading lady may have been found, the project could get the green light soon.
Based on the graphic novel series byYukito Kishiro,Battle Angelis set in the 26th Century, with the story centering on Alita, an amnesiacfemale cyborgwho is rescued from a junkyard by a doctor. The cyborg is rebuilt, only remembering her martial arts training, as she is programmed to hunt and take down violent criminals, while she goes on her own journey of self-discovery.James Cameronco-wrote the screenplay with hisAvatarco-writerLaeta Kalogridis, but it isn’t known ifRobert Rodriguezhas been re-writing the script as well.
James Cameronhas been developing this project for more than adecade, which was expected to be his follow-up toTitanic, way back in 2005. The filmmaker moved on to develop and directAvatar, which ended up shatteringTitanic’s box office records, and now the director is in pre-production on four sequels toAvatar, all of which will be shot simultaneously.Avatar 2is set to hit theaters in December 2018, followed byAvatar 3in 2020,Avatar 4in 2022 andAvatar 5arriving in 2023.Rosa Salazarhas most recently starred as Brenda inThe Maze Runner: Scorch Trials, with the actress set to return in the franchise finaleThe Maze Runner: The Death Cure. She also stars in the indie comedySearch Party, which hit theaters this month, and the upcoming remakeCHiPs. We’ll have to wait and see ifCollider’s initial story pans out, withSalazarlocking in the lead.
