Look out Jackie Earle Haley, you won't be the only villainous cyborg to menace Rosa Salazar in Robert Rodriquez's ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL as THR reports that DEADPOOL's Ed Skrein is closing a deal to join the cast of the long-awaited adaptation of Yukito Kishiro's "Battle Angel Alita".
Skrein will play Zapan, "a villainous cyborg who is in possession of a weapon called the Damascus blade." As for his partner in cyborg crime, not much is known about Jackie Earle Haley's role but it's said that he'll be playing "a monstrous cyborg" which "will call for plenty of CG and greenscreen." Rosa Salazar will play the titular character in ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL, a cyborg with no memory found in a scrapyard by a scientist, and Christoph Waltz has been in talks for the role of Dr. Dyson Ido, the cybersurgeon who finds the cyborg and becomes her mentor.
A synopsis for ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL:
Set in the 26th century, ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL tells the story of Alita, an amnesiac female cyborg who is rescued from a scrapyard by a doctor. The rebuilt Alita, remembering only her training in a deadly martial art, becomes a hunter-warrior, tracking down and eliminating vicious criminals. Within the context of an epic action-adventure, the film will explore a young woman’s journey of self-discovery and finding love.
ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL is set for a July 20, 2018 release.