10 Upcoming Blockbusters You Should Be Worried About

James Cameron famously spent years developing the big-screen adaptation of the popular manga before getting distracted by Avatar and its many sequels. Alita: Battle Angel will finally land in theaters next summer with Robert Rodriguez behind the camera, but Cameron's fingerprints are still all over the hugely-ambitious project.

Co-producing through his Lightstorm Entertainment company with Rodriguez' Troublemaker Studios, Alita utilized much of the Cameron's cutting-edge technology during shooting, which is promising as Rodriguez' movies usually play up to the director's 'one man film crew' ideology which gives a lot of his output a low-budget feel. And with a budget rumored to be up to $200m, this thing isn't cheap.

What it does have going for it is a solid cast. Backing up relative unknown Rosa Salazar in the title role are Academy Award winners Christoph Waltz, Mahershala Ali and Jennifer Connelly, supported by Jackie Earle Haley and Michelle Rodriguez.

Although great at crafting strong female lead characters, Cameron isn't regarded as the greatest screenwriter and co-writer Laeta Kalogridis' previous track record doesn't inspire much confidence. Similarly, Rodriguez hasn't directed a truly memorable movie since Sin City over a decade ago and often struggles to rein in his impulses. With big-budget sci-fi proving to be a tougher sell than ever at the box office, Alita: Battle Angel faces an uphill struggle to live up to its undoubted potential.