New Alita: Battle Angel Trailer Is Action Packed And Stunning

Eyes have been wide and ready for Alita: Battle Angel. It was originally supposed to come out this past summer until it was pushed a holiday release, and then it ws pushed back once more to premiere on February 14, 2019. The sci-fi action epic based on the manga and anime also known as Gunnm by Yukito Kishiro about a female cyborg has been in development by James Cameron for over a decade. Past footage has introduced the post-apocalyptic world and the characters at the heart of the film, but in anticipation for its nearing release, it's time to see get a closer look at just how much of a badass hero Alita really is. Take a look:

The new trailer from 20th Century Fox opens with Alita, a motion-capture character played by Rosa Salazar, sneaking out to jump on rooftops of Iron City to meet with Hugo (Keean Johnson). The pair have a young budding romance, though Alita struggles with her strikingly different look. Alita's star-crossed love is wedged by her forgotten past that looks to soon catch up with her. She is found in a Scrapyard by Dr. Dyson Ido (Christoph Waltz), who reassembles her and tries to protect her from the dangerous world they live in.

The latest look at Alita: Battle Angel intrigues the audience about the stakes the heroine is being faced with as she swings between her human desires and her advanced robotic strength. The trailer has Alita taking on villains such as the hunter-warrior Zapan, played by Deadpool's Ed Skrein, and Scrapyard Businessman Vector, portrayed by Mahershala Ali, who orders her destruction. In between the confrontations with these characters, Alita is seen competing in the world's brutal sport of Motorball, which looks to be an incredible action sequence. Alita delivers quite a few powerful lines in the preview as she asserts her strength.

Alita: Battle Angel is directed/co-written by Robert Rodriguez, best known for his stylized action films including Sin City, Desperado and Spy Kids. The film is co-written and produced by James Cameron, who originally hoped to helm the project before his Avatar sequels got in the way. The collaborators have created their shared vision of using motion-capture technology to give Alita those big anime-eyes, likely unavailable to them when Cameron first decided to take on the project.

The upcoming film includes a jam-packed supporting cast consisting of Jennifer Connelly, Michelle Rodriguez and To All the Boys I've Loved Before breakout star Lana Condor. While it has seen quite a few release date changes, the film now sits comfortably on Valentine's Day weekend with Rebel Wilson's Isn't it Romantic and Happy Death Day 2U opening beside Alita:Battle Angel on February 14, 2019. For fans of the '90s anime or action-hungry moviegoers, Alita looks to be a heartwarming and electrifying upcoming release.

Sarah El-Mahmoud
Staff Writer

Sarah El-Mahmoud has been with CinemaBlend since 2018 after graduating from Cal State Fullerton with a degree in Journalism. In college, she was the Managing Editor of the award-winning college paper, The Daily Titan, where she specialized in writing/editing long-form features, profiles and arts & entertainment coverage, including her first run-in with movie reporting, with a phone interview with Guillermo del Toro for Best Picture winner, The Shape of Water. Now she's into covering YA television and movies, and plenty of horror. Word webslinger. All her writing should be read in Sarah Connor’s Terminator 2 voice over.