Alita: 7 Reasons We Need A Sequel

We need to see where THOSE cameos lead...

By William Jones /

After decades spent on the back burner, Alita: Battle Angel is finally a reality.

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The Robert Rodriguez-directed, James Cameron-produced adaptation of Yukito Kishiro's manga has hit the big screen at last and is doing better than many expected. Initial box office predictions made things look as if Alita didn't stand a chance of even coming close to recouping its massive budget and was going to go down as an unmitigated financial disaster.

However, that didn't really happen. It's opening weekend wound up being about double of what was expected and the word-of-mouth around it has been surprisingly strong. The reviews have been stronger than expected, fans of the manga have been regularly praising it, and it even earned itself an A- Cinemascore, meaning its a hit with general audiences as well.

The film's narrative certainly warrants a sequel but many have been quick to doubt whether it will actually get one. So at this critical moment where it looks like the film could go either way, become a flop or a surprising success, let's take a look at all the reasons why the world would be a better place with an Alita sequel in it...

7. Fleshing Out The World

One of the highlights of Alita: Battle Angel is just how tangible and lived-in the world of Iron City feels.

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Rodriguez and the crew consistently go the extra mile to sell this as a living, breathing ecosystem unto itself. There are cutaway shots of robotic-armed men playing multiple-neck guitars. There are fleshed-out vendors and marketplaces there to serve solely as a backdrop for a couple of wide shots. Every shot out in the streets of the city is populated by characters with CGI limbs and features.

It all adds up to Iron City feeling more like a genuine, real location rather than just a set.

Not only would this serve as a stellar foundation for a sequel which could subsequently build upon the intricacies presented here for Iron City, but it would also inevitably lead to a fully-realized film-version of Zalem as well. The floating city plays a crucial role in this film but is critically never actually visited or seen by the audience. To pass up the chance to take audiences to an intricately constructed cinematic version of the metropolis from Yukito Kishiro's manga.

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