James Cameron had previously said the he only envisioned working on AVATAR for the foreseeable future. With the confirmation that AVATAR 2 and AVATAR 3 would be coming, we all but assumed that Cameron's long in development BATTLE ANGEL would fall by the wayside. That does not appear to be the case and we actually have a date to look forward to.
At the TagDF forum in Mexico City, Cameron said he plans to begin developing BATTLE ANGEL in 2017 while he is in post-production on AVATAR 3. This will be an opportunity for the filmmaker to shift his focus from developing new movie technology and to focus on character and story. This is something of a surprise because not only does it cement that he feels he will be done with the two AVATAR sequels within 4 years.
BATTLE ANGEL will be based on the BATTLE ANGEL ALITA manga that tells the story of Alita, a cyborg who has lost all memories and is found in a garbage heap by a cybernetics doctor who rebuilds and takes care of her. She discovers that there is one thing she remembers, the legendary cyborg martial art Panzer Kunst, which leads to her becoming a Hunter Warrior or bounty hunter. The story traces Alita's attempts to rediscover her past and the characters whose lives she impacts on her journey.
From his comments, it sounds as if Cameron has developed enough technology to make BATTLE ANGEL a reality. I am looking forward to what the director will be bringing to the AVATAR sequels. I enjoyed the first film and it remains the sole 3D experience I have found worthwhile at the movies. There have been many critics of the current 3D boom which many consider lackluster and trace back to AVATAR. Cameron addressed the use of post-conversion 3D in movies at the same forum:
“One thing is shooting in 3D and another is to convert to 3D…If you spend $150 million on visual effects, the film is already going to [look] spectacular [and] perfect.”
Well, at least he admits there is a time and a place for 3D. I just gained new respect for him!