‘Alita Battle Angel 2’ Latest News, Update: First Film Breaks Even; Sequel Still Uncertain

“Alita Battle Angel 2” has been a hot topic in the movie industry as its predecessor was touted to be a blockbuster hit for FOX and James Cameron. With a budget of $170 million, rival studios estimated that the prequel will need $400-$500 million to dodge a bullet, Variety reported.

FOX insiders, on the other hand, estimated the studio will breakeven at around $350 million. As of this writing, the first film managed to accumulate a worldwide sale of $403 million. While the figure isn’t stellar, it does give the franchise room to discuss a potential “Alita Battle Angel 2.” Highly-acclaimed director James Cameron already told Digital Spy that the roadmap for a sequel has already been mapped out.

“Well, we obviously have a plan for that. But it's cheeky to set up a sequel before you're proven. That can blow back in your face. We think of something like ‘Warcraft’ that was clearly set up with the intention to do sequels, and then it becomes mock-able because the film doesn't succeed. But I don't worry about stuff like that. If the film fails, it's its own punishment, you know? It doesn't matter if we get mocked on top of having failed,” Cameron said. It’s worth mentioning that the director said this before the prequel’s release and before Disney acquired FOX. And while Cameron may be keen in making “Alita Battle Angel 2,” it still comes down to Disney if it wants to greenlight the sequel, Screen Rant reported.

The good news is that the audience received the wide-eyed heroine with positivity, even though the prequel got mix reviews from critics. The first film got a 94 percent positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes, while critics gave it 60 percent. Part of the reason why the possibility of “Alita Battle Angel 2” didn’t die was due to its global sales.

The first film only got $85 million domestically, while international revenue carried much of the weight accounting for $318 million in profit. It’s estimated that the first film provided the studio with $170 million in revenue since most markets agree to a 50/50 split, with China only sending back 25-30 percent, Forbes reported. That only covers the production budget, however. If the sci-fi movie made a huge splash in North America, then “Alita Battle Angel 2” would’ve certainly seen the light of day. But as it stands, it’s now up to Cameron and Disney what they’re planning for the IP moving forward.