“Sin City” helmer to direct “Alita: Battle Angel” manga adaptation

PanARMENIAN.Net - Robert Rodriguez is in negotiations to direct “Alita: Battle Angel,” a live-action adaptation of the popular Japanese manga that James Cameron and Jon Landau will produce for 20th Century Fox, the studio announced, according to TheWrap.

The project is based on the Japanese manga and graphic novel series “Battle Angel Alita” by Yukito Kishiro.

Set in the 26th century, “Alita: Battle Angel” tells the story of Alita, an amnesiac female cyborg who is rescued from a scrapyard by a doctor. The rebuilt Alita, remembering only her training in a deadly martial art, becomes a hunter-warrior, tracking down and eliminating vicious criminals. Within the context of an epic action-adventure, the film will explore a young woman’s journey of self-discovery and finding love.

“Robert and I have been looking for a film to do together for years, so I was pumped when he said he wanted to do ‘Battle Angel.’ He’s very collaborative and we’re already like two kids building a go-kart, just having fun riffing creatively and technically,” said Cameron. “This project is near and dear to me, and there’s nobody I trust more than Robert, with his technical virtuosity and rebel style, to take over the directing reins. We’re looking forward to learning a lot from each other while we make a kick-ass epic.”

“‘Battle Angel’ is an incredibly rich and vibrant epic in the tradition of Jim Cameron’s spectacular, character-driven films. Getting to work from Jim’s terrific and visionary script while learning the cutting edge techniques he’s pioneered is a master class in filmmaking. It’s an honor to explore the world of Alita along with Jim and Jon, whose films have impacted me for decades,” added Rodriguez.

Rodriguez’s previously directed “Sin City,” “From Dusk Till Dawn,” the “Spy Kids” films and the Mexico Trilogy, which consists of “El Mariachi,” “Desperado” and “Once Upon a Time in Mexico.”

Cameron and Landau, who will produce for Fox under their Lightstorm Entertainment banner, are also currently in pre-production on three sequels to “Avatar,” which is the highest-grossing film of all-time — at least until “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” hits theaters in December.