James Cameron's BATTLE ANGEL ALITA - Story and Motorball Details

Battle Angel Alita is a film we've been waiting for James Cameron to make for years! I hope one day he eventually gets around to it because after seeing what he did with Avatar, Battle Angel seems like it would take that technology to a whole new level of awesomeness. Maybe now that the Hiroshima project is dead Cameron will put some more focus on this. It seems like he's been giving it a lot of thought lately.

The Producer of Avatar and Titanic, Jon Landau, who also has worked with Cameron on a few other films, recently talked to MTV and offered up some more information on Cameron's Battle Angel. The first thing he reveals is that he's trying to get Cameron to change the title from Battle Angel, simply to Alita. I like the title Battle Angel myself, but as long as the movie finally gets made, thats all that matters. As of right now, Cameron and Landau are trying to figure out what from the nine books in the series will be used to develop the story for the film. 

We’re trying to pick what is the best story to tell. It’s sort of like when you do a biopic; you can’t really do a biopic that goes from cradle to grave. You have to pick out what is the important section in that person’s life, to tell that story. 

From the sound of it, they have decided that the film will put a focus on Alita's earlier part of life. Landau explains,

I think we’ll tend to err on the earlier side, because it is the more fascinating side where Alita’s lost her memory and she doesn’t know where she comes from. And it’s when she discovers where she comes from, she’s terrified of it and doesn’t believe that that’s who she really is.

One of the most interesting aspects that comes out of Alita's early life is the sport of Motorball. This is one of their favorite elements of the story, and it's something that they're really are excited about bringing to the big screen. You know when Cameron does this its going to be in 3D using the top of the line motion capture CGI technology. This Motorball sport will be insane to see with all of these elements coming together!

If people are familiar with the series at all, there’s something they call Motorball. That is something that Jim has always been dynamically excited about. It’s racing on a super track, with characters that are built and created in the cyborg world to race against each other in an arena. It’s almost like a gladiator match meets an Indy 500 race. Their mode of battle depends on who they are. It depends how they’ve been modified as cyborgs; they’re not in cars — it’s their physical being that is out there. Some of them are on roller skates — and Alita participates in this, and she’s on roller blades, while other people might have different devices. It’s a wonderful, rich world to design and develop.

I can only imagine what Cameron will do with this. When I first heard Cameron wanted to develop this series into a film, the Motorball stuff was one of the things I was most excited about seeing. But now after seeing how far technology has come and what was done for Avatar the possibilities for what can be done with Battle Angel are endless. 

I've included some footage of the Motorball races from a CGI animated clip that came with the manga GUNNM: Complete Edition #6. Just imagine what Cameron will be able to do with this. This film is going to be absolutely incredible when it finally gets made.

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