After nearly 10 years or more in development hell Hollywood’s next foray into Japanese Animation/Manga Battle Angel: Alita (or Alita:Battle Angel as it’s called sometimes) may have found it’s male lead…Christoph Waltz.
According to The Hollywood Reporter Robert Rodriguez‘s (James Cameron produced) film want’s Spectre villain to play the lead male role of Dr Dyson Ido. The scientist , cyber surgeon who finds the cyborg he rebuilds into Alita.
As ever the talks are still at the early stage and if the popular Austrian actor accepts the role it will be a new direction for him. Waltz has built a reputation playing nefarious, villainous characters now he would be the mentor to the film’ main protagonist. It would certainly be a change of pace but even those times when he has played the bad guy (last time been Legend Of Tarzan)he’s shown his versatility and ease to change. His next film period drama Tulip Forever co-starring Alicia Vikander and Alexander Payne’s sci-fi comedy Downsizing show that versatility.
Battle Angel Alita (or Gunnm in Japanese) was created in 1990 by Yukito Kishiro as a Manga comic book, later made into a OVA film released in UK by Manga Entertainment in 1993. Set in 26th Century post apocalyptic Earth Alita (or Gally in Japan) is found amongst the trash who found by Ido. With all her memories lost Ido starts to rebuild her becoming not just her mentor but her father figure too. Alita does however have one memory, one of the legendary cyborg martial art Panzer Kunst leading her to become once again a warrior.The movie also tries to rediscover Alita’s past and those lives she has an impact on too.
Originally James Cameron was set to direct what was originally a pet project for him only to hand over the reigns to Robert Rodriguez. Its seems this project was working in very expensive (reporting to be around $200 million) however the budget has drastically drop but will still be Rodriguez biggest movie to date.
Hollywood seems to be stirring alot of people up, who accuse Tinsel town of ‘whiting’ up too many films that on paper should be a Back actor or actor of a certain ethnic origin. The other big Hollywood anime adaptation Ghost In The Shell has suffered this for not having Japanese actors in the cast. That film now has Japanese actors involved and that’s not to say Battle Angel Alita won’t either. If Christoph Waltz does join the cast there’s nothing to say his character’s name won’t change. Alita role will be played by Maze Runner actress Rosa Salazar.
