You can’t keep a good manga down, just look at Battle Angel Alita and the seemingly permanent spot it’s occupied in bookstores and anime shops everywhere for over twenty years. The cult classic series finally got some mainstream attention in the form of 2019’s Alita: Battle Angel courtesy of longtime fan James Cameron and director Robert Rodriguez. The live-action adaptation stands as one of the first (or only, depending on who you ask) Hollywood adaptations of a beloved anime to earn the fanbase’s respect, even though that didn’t translate to an equally impressive box office performance.
But that detail won’t be enough to snuff the passion of Battle Angel diehards, many of whom see Disney’s recent acquisition of the property as part of their purchase of 20th Century Fox as an opportunity to keep the franchise going. These fans have now taken to Twitter to campaign for a continuation to the 2019 film, tagging the Mouse House’s official account with requests for a sequel or prequel to adapt more of Yukito Kishiro’s original manga, or at least resolve the movie’s tease of a cliffhanger ending.
Excuse me Mr @Disney, when you are you making the sequel to Alita Battle Angel? And a prequel for that matter?
— Sage (@SageCrule) May 24, 2020
“It's kind of fun to do the impossible.” ~Walt Disney @Disney we will not stop bugging you. WE WANT ALITA SEQUEL. WE WANT ALITA 2. PLEASE MAKE IT HAPPEN.?
— Nin?➐ (@iamjohn_11) May 26, 2020
If Disney don’t let 20th Century make a Battle Angel Alita 2 I’m gonna raise hell
— Denton (@DJacob21) May 20, 2020
Good morning Mr Horn. An evil organization is attempting to lobotomize Americans with brainless movies. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to get Disney to greenlight an Alita sequel. Should you fail we will disavow any knowledge of your actions. Good luck, Alan pic.twitter.com/qfT6nUQacG
— Charlie Schmidt (@CharlieSchmidt1) May 24, 2020
Here's a link for those who want to request Alita on Disney+. https://t.co/3NhWP3ylqu Click on "Give Feedback" and then "Request a film or show".
It's true that HBO has the rights to play Alita: Battle Angel until at least 2022, so this is only meant to send a message to Disney. https://t.co/lnz2wOpMoo
— The #AlitaArmy ??⚔♥ (@AlitaArmy) May 20, 2020
The World appears beautiful so that the living may love being alive in it. Beauty delights us & cheers us up. Alita: Battle Angel is a beautiful movie. If Disney cares about art and beauty, then a sequel is assured. @DisneyStudios @20thCentury #AlitaSequel #WatchAlita @doc_ido pic.twitter.com/eATt2QOnq4
— Charlie Schmidt (@CharlieSchmidt1) May 23, 2020
Help us convince @Disney to greenlight it! Tell people to #WatchAlita and ask them to show @DisneyMovies that they will watch the #AlitaSequel in theatres! @DisneyStudios @20thcentury @JimCameron @JonLandau https://t.co/uHZJsWfNhH
— Alita_Warrior_99 ⚔? (@vladdie777) May 25, 2020
While a D+ prequel isn't what we ultimately want, I see the positive here. If Disney is willing to invest in Alita, build the product value and audience awareness, they may well be setting Alita up for an eventual theatrical trilogy completion.
— Eddie McTrigger (@DavidEHarrellI1) May 18, 2020
And let’s not forget the ongoing petition on Change.org for a sequel, which currently boasts over 155,000 signatures and counting.
Alita: Battle Angel released in January 2019, grossing a total of $85.7 million at the domestic box office and $319.1 million internationally against an estimated $170 million budget. Those domestic numbers aren’t great, but with recent reports of Disney expressing serious interest in doing more with the intellectual property – and some accounts even claiming a prequel show may be coming to Disney Plus somewhere down the line – these fans’ voices may have finally reached those in charge. Although the future of Alita: Battle Angel remains uncertain as of now, at least its fanbase is keeping its spirit alive and well.
