You have to admire the persistence and dedication of the Alita: Battle Angel fanbase, who haven’t given up hope of willing a sequel into existence despite the chances of it actually happening looking very slim. The sci-fi blockbuster was packed with the sort of ambitious worldbuilding and fast-paced action you’d expect from a collaboration between James Cameron and Robert Rodriguez, but the $200 million epic just didn’t do well enough at the box office to launch a franchise.
Undeterred, the so-called ‘Alita Army’ have mobilized in huge numbers on social media, and they show no signs of abandoning the cause any time soon. Despite calls for new rights holders Disney to greenlight a follow-up, their prayers have gone unanswered, but they did at least score a recent minor victory. The latest offensive in the campaign saw fans bombard social media to try and have Alita rereleased into theaters, and it actually worked.
Of course, having a movie that disappointed at the box office the first time around coming back to cinemas when business is at an all-time low and the entire industry has been ravaged by a global pandemic isn’t exactly a seismic development, but a win is a win no matter the size. And to mark the occasion, Rodriguez revealed a brand new Alita poster, which you can check out below.
Last weekend’s number one movie was Liam Neeson action thriller Honest Thief, which took the top spot with a paltry $2.4 million, and it’ll be interesting to see if the fans turn up in big enough numbers to will Alita: Battle Angel to the top of the box office. If they do, it might even give the execs at Disney something to think about.