Although Alita: Battle Angel grossed more than $400 million worldwide, it didn’t reach the blockbuster numbers the studio had hoped for. The film clearly set the stage for more, but the underwhelming box office, mixed reviews, and Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox seemed to cast doubt on a sequel to Alita: Battle Angel.
Alita: Battle Angel has gathered a passionate fanbase who would love to see a sequel, and those involved with the production are eager to return. The latest member of the Alita team to stoke the sequel fires is producer Jon Landau. Deadline caught up with Landau on the red carpet for Avatar: The Way of Water and asked him if there were any other films he is going to be doing aside from Avatar. “Well there’s a little film called Alita: Battle Angel that we’d love to circle back and do a sequel to,” Landau said. “Been talking to Robert [Rodriguez] about that and hopefully that comes to fruition.” He added that he didn’t want to give a timeline on when the sequel might start taking shape as he didn’t want reporters to use that against him.
Alita: Battle Angel focused on Alita (Rosa Salazar), a cyborg who was awakened with no memory and was taken in by Dr. Dyson Ido (Christoph Waltz), who recognized the heart and soul of a young woman with an extraordinary past. Director Robert Rodriguez told Forbes in 2020 that the Alita: Battle Angel sequel could find a home on Disney+. “I think anything is possible. Disney bought Fox, and they have Disney Plus, so that is worth the conversation. I know other people would love to see another, and I would love to do another one,” Rodriguez said. “As far as where it would go or how it would be made, I think streaming has opened up many opportunities such as sequels. 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.” Would you still like to see a sequel to Alita: Battle Angel?