00:10So let's talk for a second about Hollywood's track record with live-action anime adaptations
00:15because it has not been pretty.
00:17You look at big properties like Ghost in the Shell or Dragon Ball, which have massive built-in
00:22fan bases and huge pop culture recognition, and yet every time a studio throws a bunch
00:27of money at adapting them, things just seem to go sideways.
00:31The movies come out, the fans get disappointed, the critics aren't impressed, and everyone
00:36kinda moves on wishing it had turned out better.
00:39But then 2019 rolled around and we got Alita Battle Angel, and that movie felt like a genuine
00:44revelation in the middle of all those letdowns.
00:47Now Alita wasn't some massive critical darling when it first dropped because the reviews were
00:52pretty tepid overall, and the box office numbers were just sort of okay.
00:56It made around $400 million worldwide, which sounds impressive until you realize the budget
01:02was about $200 million, so it wasn't exactly the runaway success that studios dream about.
01:08But here's the thing.
01:09Even though the critics weren't completely won over, with a movie sitting at 61% on Rotten
01:15Tomatoes, which is barely fresh, the fans absolutely embraced it.
01:19Anime lovers celebrated what Rodriguez and Cameron had put together, and over the years, the film
01:25has developed this really passionate cult following that just keeps growing.
01:29So even though it didn't set the world on fire right away, it found its audience, and
01:34that audience has been incredibly loyal.
01:36But here's the worrying part, because time is kinda ticking away on the possibility of getting
01:40a sequel.
01:41The movie came out almost seven years ago now, and even though there's been talk about continuing
01:46the story for a while, nothing has actually been locked in yet.
01:50The good news, though, is that James Cameron recently sat down with Empire Magazine and
01:56talked about his desire to make another one, and he made it sound pretty serious.
02:00He mentioned that now that he's wrapped up work on Avatar Fire and Ash, he and Robert Rodriguez
02:05have this thing they call a blood oath to do at least one more Alita movie.
02:10And Cameron even went a step further by saying they're already thinking about an architecture
02:14that could bridge into a third film, but they would be perfectly happy if they could just
02:19get that one more movie made.
02:21So the intention and the passion are definitely there, which is a really positive sign for
02:26everyone who's been waiting.
02:27Now, even with that kind of commitment from two major filmmakers, the chances of Alita 2
02:32actually happening are still pretty dicey, because there are some serious obstacles standing
02:37in the way.
02:37The first and most obvious hurdle is that box office performance, because studios look
02:43at those numbers and they get nervous.
02:45A movie that barely broke even doesn't exactly scream green light the sequel to the people
02:50holding the purse strings, even if there's a dedicated fan base screaming for more.
02:56And then there's the critical reception, because although fans loved it, the critics were mixed
03:01at best, and that 61% on Rotten Tomatoes doesn't give studios a lot of confidence either.
03:06On top of all that, the film hasn't really gotten the kind of critical reappraisal that
03:12some other live-action anime movies have gotten over time, like Speed Racer, which has become
03:17much more appreciated years after its release.
03:20So the movie has had to fight for its reputation, and that makes the sequel conversation even harder.
03:26But despite all these obstacles, and even though the road ahead looks pretty rough, Alita still
03:31has some really solid things going for it that keep hope alive.
03:34The first is James Cameron himself, because when James Cameron says he wants to make a movie,
03:40people tend to listen.
03:42He's one of the most successful and respected filmmakers in the industry, and he has the
03:46connections and the influence to get projects off the ground that other directors couldn't.
03:51So having him as a vocal champion for this sequel gives it a serious leg up.
03:56The second thing is the fans, because the Alita Army is no joke, and they have been incredibly
04:02vocal and organized about campaigning for more content.
04:06They pushed for a theatrical re-release back in 2020, and they've kept up the momentum with
04:11social media hashtags and online campaigns that remind everyone that this movie still
04:16has a passionate following.
04:18And then there's the third factor, which is that anime and manga-inspired content is just
04:23exploding in popularity right now.
04:25So the timing is actually pretty good for a sequel to capitalize on that wave.
04:29And if you look at the movie itself, it's really easy to see why people love it so much
04:34and why they want more.
04:35The visual style is unique and stunning, because they use this incredible combination of CGI
04:41and motion capture to bring Alita to life.
04:44And it allows her to feel real and grounded even while she's doing these superhuman things
04:48that no actual person could pull off.
04:51Rosa Salazar did phenomenal work in the lead role, bringing so much heart and emotion to
04:56a character that could have easily felt cold or disconnected.
04:59And the supporting cast is stacked with talent like Christoph Waltz, Jennifer Connelly, Mahershala
05:05Ali, Iza Gonzalez, and Lana Condor.
05:08So the performances are top tier across the board.
05:11The story itself might not reinvent the wheel in terms of sci-fi narratives, because it's about
05:17a cyborg who wakes up with no memory and tries to figure out who she is while fighting against
05:22a criminal underworld.
05:23But it works really well, and it's executed with a lot of care and craftsmanship.
05:29What's really interesting is how the movie has grown into this cult classic over the
05:33years, because it happened faster than most films usually achieve that status.
05:38You typically need a decade or more for a movie to get rediscovered and appreciated,
05:42but Alita built that passionate following within just a few years of its release.
05:47The fans didn't let anybody forget about it, and Robert Rodriguez himself has talked
05:52about how much he appreciates that cult status, because he said he'd rather have a movie that
05:57people love and remember for years than a hit that everyone forgets about in a couple
06:02of months.
06:02So there's this lasting impact and legacy that the movie has built, and that's something
06:07special that you can't really manufacture.
06:09And now that the film is landing on Peacock, more people are going to discover it, which
06:15could add even more momentum to the sequel campaign.
06:17And speaking of the sequel, there have actually been some pretty positive developments over
06:22the last few years that make it feel more likely than it did before.
06:26Producer John Landau confirmed that a sequel was actively in development, and he said negotiations
06:32were happening to bring Robert Rodriguez back as director and Rosa Salazar back as Alita,
06:38which is exactly what fans want to hear.
06:41James Cameron has been pretty open about the fact that he's working on writing more than
06:45one sequel, and even though he's obviously busy with the Avatar franchise, he's still making
06:50time for Alita.
06:52The most recent update came at the end of 2025, when Cameron confirmed that he's actively working
06:58on the script with Rodriguez, and that they have a plan to bridge into a potential third
07:02movie, even though they'd be satisfied with just one more.
07:05So progress is actually being made, which is fantastic news.
07:09And you know, there's this little Easter egg in the original movie that got people excited
07:13about the future, because they cast Edward Norton in a speaking role that was clearly designed
07:18to set him up for a sequel, and they also had cameos from Jai Courtney and Michelle Rodriguez
07:23that hinted at bigger things to come.
07:25So the groundwork was definitely laid for a larger story, and it would be such a shame
07:30not to follow through on that setup.
07:32The acquisition of 20th Century Fox by Disney was a bit of a wild card, because nobody really
07:37knew how Disney would approach the property, but the fact that Cameron and Rodriguez are
07:42still pushing for it suggests there's a path forward.
07:45With the movie getting a new wave of attention on Peacock, and with the creators more committed
07:50than ever, it really feels like the stars could align for Alita to finally get her sequel.
07:55And that would be a wonderful thing, because this franchise deserves to continue, and the
07:59fans definitely deserve to see where the story goes next.
08:02And that's that for today's video, thanks for watching and we'll see you in the next
08:06one.
08:07And don't forget to like, share, and subscribe to stay in the loop, and if you want, you
08:11can share your thoughts about this video in the comments.
