In another display of modern fans showing that they’re always willing to go that extra mile to get their point across, those desperate for a sequel to last year’s Alita: Battle Angel have decided to take things into their own hands.
The blockbuster sci-fi was a solid-if-unspectacular hit, earning just over $400 million globally against a $170 million budget, but despite the movie proving to be much more popular overseas than it was domestically, the so-called ‘Alita Army’ have mobilized their campaign for a follow-up and directed it towards the biggest awards ceremony in Hollywood.
A far cry from the ‘toxic fandom’ movement that has seen online trolls mercilessly bash the likes of Captain Marvel and the more recent Star Wars entries, Alita fans have instead decided to crowdfund almost $5000 in order to fly a plane directly over the Academy Awards bearing a banner that reads ‘#AlitaArmy #AlitaSequel.’ Producer Jon Landau recently urged the fanbase to let their feelings be known on social media so that the studio might eventually take notice, but surely he wasn’t expecting this.
It seems unlikely that the most powerful people in the industry will even notice the Alita plane flying overhead, given the sheer volume of backslapping and self-congratulations that happen during the Oscars, but the plan is at least more palatable than launching targeted hate campaigns against actors and filmmakers.
Unfortunately, Alita: Battle Angel was a Fox production, and with Disney having taken the company over, it doesn’t seem as though a sequel will be high on their list of priorities, given the huge expense that comes with both creating the vast sci-fi dystopia required and hiring James Cameron. The fans want it and the stars of the movie want it, but the decision will ultimately come down to the overlords in the House of Mouse, who probably won’t see a second go-around as a worthwhile investment.
