Nobody really expects Alita: Battle Angel to get a sequel due to its lukewarm box office performance ($405 million worldwide on a $170 million production budget), but fans who enjoyed 20th Century Fox’s adaptation of the critically acclaimed sci-fi manga may want to continue their uphill battle for a new film. In a recent interview with Forbes, director Robert Rodriguez was asked about the possibility of a second movie and confirmed that he’d be thrilled to continue the story of Alita, noting that Disney+ might be an ideal way of getting it released.
“I think anything is possible. Disney bought Fox, and they have Disney+, so that is worth the conversation,” Rodriguez said. “I know other people would love to see another, and I would love to do another one. As far as where it would go or how it would be made, I think streaming has opened up many opportunities such as sequels.”
The El Mariachi and Spy Kids director went on to say that Alita: Battle Angel already has a huge audience, which isn’t too far fetched based on the film’s success in the home media market. Reports from Blu-ray.com (1, 2) confirm that Alita managed to stay at the top of the charts for two weeks in light of other blockbuster releases such as Captain Marvel and The Lion King.
“It’s already a pre-sold concept, it’s already got a built-in audience that wants to see it, and then it’s delivered to them in a way that’s the easiest for them to consume,” said Rodriguez. “So, it’s not a bad idea.”
Before its release in 2019, Alita: Battle Angel was widely known as being one of James Cameron’s longest-running projects. The filmmaker actually began working on a script as far back as 2003 but ultimately relinquished directing duties to Robert Rodriguez due to his involvement with the Avatar sequels.