After languishing in development for years as a projectJames Cameronhad planned on directing,Alita: Battle Angelfinally started moving forward last year whenRobert Rodriguezsigned on to direct, withJames Cameronproducing. Back in February, we reported thatRosa Salazarwas chosen to play the title character, and now that her deal has been finalized, the rest of the cast is starting to come together. Today we have word that Oscar winnerChristoph Waltzis in early talks to play Doctor Dyson Ido.
The Hollywood Reporter reveals that, if a deal comes together,Christoph Waltzwill play Dyson Ido, the cybersurgeon who discovers the title character and becomes her mentor. This project is based on theJapanese Mangaseries of graphic novels byYukito Kishiro. The movie is believed to combine the first three books, Ido, Alita and Hugo.
Set in the 26th century, the story takes place 300 years after a societal collapse caused by a major war. But in that society, it’s a technological dark age following a pinnacle of achievement far, far beyond where we are right now. It’s a post-apocalyptic world from a very high level with cyborg technology as just a way of life. People are augmented a lot as workers and so on, so being a cyborg is not unusual.
Alitais a cyborg with an artificial body that houses an organic human brain, who appears to be around fourteen years old. After losing her memory, she is found among some wreckage and brought back to life by Dyson Ido. 20th Century Fox is eyeing this project to launch a sci-fi franchise, withJames Cameronproducing alongisde his Lightstorm Entertainment partnerJon Landau.
20th Century Fox recently set a July 20, 2018release dateforAlita: Battle Angel, putting it up against an untitled animated project from DreamWorks Animation and Blue Sky.Christoph Waltzmost recently starred inSpectreandThe Legend of Tarzan, and he will next be seen inDownsizingalongsideMatt Damon,Jason Sudekis,Alec Baldwin,Neil Patrick HarrisandKristen Wiig, hitting theaters next Christmas.
