Robert Rodriguez is holding out for a cyborg hero. The Alita: Battle Angel director is optimistic that a sequel can be made, particularly now that Disney+ opens all kinds of doors for the 20th Century Fox film.

Alita: Battle Angel barely scraped by the marker of being a box office success, raking in $405 million worldwide against a production budget of $170 million, despite lukewarm critical reactions and poor U.S. box office. Still, a success is a success, so the next answer would naturally be: will there be a sequel? More than a year after its release, there’s still no word, but director Robert Rodriguez is holding out hope for an Alita: Battle Angel 2.

That’s because, as strange as it sounds for a hyper-violent sci-fi anime adaptation, Alita: Battle Angel is a Disney movie. Well, technically it’s a 20th Century Fox movie, which falls under the Disney banner now. And because Alita: Battle Angel is under the Disney umbrella, Rodriguez believes it’s ripe for a Disney+ sequel. Rodriguez said in an interview with Forbes:

“I think anything is possible. Disney bought Fox, and they have Disney+, so that is worth the conversation. I know other people would love to see another, and I would love to do another one. As far as where it would go or how it would be made, I think streaming has opened up many opportunities such as sequels. It’s already a pre-sold concept, it’s already got a built-in audience that wants to see it, and then it’s delivered to them in a way that’s the easiest for them to consume. So, it’s not a bad idea.”

Alita: Battle Angel is as violent and dark as they come, so it’s probably not likely that Disney would be keen to jump on the franchise for its family-friendly service. But Disney is also fond of familiar IPs, and Alita: Battle Angel has become one thanks to a rabid online fanbase for the 2019 film (as an anime fan, I can attest that the fanbase for the original manga/anime was virtually non-existent until then).

So perhaps Disney could see fit to greenlight a sequel to Alita: Battle Angel based on the box office success and the potential for a franchise. If not a straightforward sequel for Disney+, perhaps a more family-friendly animated series, after all, Rodriguez’s familiarity with kid’s movies would probably make him more amenable to that shift. Wouldn’t it be hilarious if Alita: Battle Angel went full-circle from anime to live-action, back to animated again?

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