Robert Rodriguez would love to return for Alita: Battle Angel sequel

Alita: Battle Angel is now in its second weekend in theaters. When it opened, it surpassed expectations and became the #1 movie in the United States with $42.3 million over its 6-day opening week. With the movie coming out in China this weekend, it’s expected to open around $60 to $65 million. Currently, the film has grossed over $155 million worldwide, and when the weekend is over, expect it to go higher. However, the future is still uncertain for an Alita: Battle Angel sequel since it’s got a big obstacle to climb in terms of its budget. The production budget is $170 million with a marketing budget of over $100 million. It’s reported that the film will need to do at least $350 million to break even. If a sequel does indeed happen, director Robert Rodriguez is definitely on board.

“Oh yeah! I would love to come back and do that one,” Rodriguez tells Nerd Reactor. “It was so fun. Working with Jim’s great, I thought Rosa was incredible, and the effects were just amazing, To think they would even be better by then for the sequel because they just keep evolving. Those guys at WETA are just at the top of their game. And just as a writing process, even if there isn’t a sequel, I got to see how Jim crafts his movies and stories. He outlines out several pictures just to let you know what to include in the first one and what not to include and what’s not necessary. There are so many mangas and so many places we can go that it would be pretty easy to come up with a second step.”

When Alita awakens with no memory of who she is in a future world she does not recognize, she is taken in by Ido (Christoph Waltz), a compassionate doctor who realizes that somewhere in this abandoned cyborg shell is the heart and soul of a young woman with an extraordinary past. As Alita learns to navigate her new life and the treacherous streets of Iron City, Ido tries to shield her from her mysterious history while her street-smart new friend Hugo (Keean Johnson) offers instead to help trigger her memories. But it is only when the deadly and corrupt forces that run the city come after Alita that she discovers a clue to her past – she has unique fighting abilities that those in power will stop at nothing to control. If she can stay out of their grasp, she could be the key to saving her friends, her family and the world she’s grown to love.

The film is directed by Robert Rodriguez from the screenplay by James Cameron and Laeta Kalogridis.

You can now watch Alita: Battle Angel in theaters. The film’s sequel will depend on its success.