An Immersive Peek into the Future in “Alita: Battle Angel”

“Alita: Battle Angel” represents a landmark collaboration between two of the best filmmakers working today. Originated (and produced) by James Cameron, the movie has Robert Rodriguez writing and directing a story that adapts Yukito Kishiro’s beloved Manga.

The movie brings the audience in a devastated future world, where society is split between the haves, who exist on the shining city of Zalem, floating above the Earth’s surface, and the have-nots, who must eke out a hardscrabble living in the Iron City, a place where Zalem dumps its garbage. It’s here that cyborg scientist Dr. Dyson Ido (Christoph Waltz) discovers the frame of a mechanoid young woman. As Alita (Rosa Salazar) figures out who she really is and what she’s meant for, the world will never be the same again.

When he was alerted to the existence of Yukito Kishiro’s classic manga series Battle Angel Alita, Cameron immediately figured it was something that he could use to fuel a new cinematic experience. The story of a young female cyborg discovered and rebuilt by the scientist who will become her father figure, it’s set in a unique, futuristic world of haves and have-nots. And it offered him the chance to explore one of his favourite themes: a complex, relatable female character, whose emotional core brings us on a journey through a seemingly strange world.

Approached by Cameron and producer Jon Landau, director Rodriguez took a meeting with them, and had a chance to see the animatics and artwork that they had produced to show the possibilities for the story. In true Cameron style, it wasn’t simply a few Power Point slides, but a fully-realised story reel with visuals drawn from their various design departments. Compelled by the story itself, and the possibilities for the movie he could make. Rodriguez asked if he could take over working on it, starting with reducing the hefty original size of the script. “He had a great character story. What Jim does best is spectacle, big action, things you’ve never seen before, really huge world-building but with the characters and stories that really affect you. There was a great love story in it, a father-daughter story, and I’m a father. I tried to just make sure all that was in there.”

From 20th Century Fox, step into the latest unparalleled immersive experience when “Alita: Battle Angel” opens February 6 in cinemas nationwide. Available in 2D and best seen in 3D and IMAX 3D screens.