WARNING: This article contains spoilers for Alita: Battle Angel.

Will there be an Alita: Battle Angel sequel, when could it release, what will its story be, and how will Disney's purchase of Fox affect the future of Iron City and Zalem? We've got answers to all your pressing questions about the future of Alita right here.

Based on the Japanese manga Gunnm, the Hollywood Alita: Battle Angel is the long-gestating brainchild of James Cameron, who has been developing the project since 2000. The version we've finally got comes care of Cameron's close friend Robert Rodriguez and starring Rosa Salazar - turned into an anime-eyed warrior thanks to mo-cap technology - as the title hero. The story is incredibly classical, seeing Alita saved by Dr. Ido (Christoph Waltz) after being found in a junk pile and slowly learning of her part in major cataclysm "The Fall" while embracing the people and places of the new world.

Related: Screen Rant's Alita: Battle Angel Review

With Alita: Battle Angel representing a similar technical achievement in terms of both CGI and 3D similar to Cameron's Avatar (the sequels for which he cites as a reason for not directing), there's obviously an expectation that this will be a new major franchise. Whether it will be is up in the air right now but, nevertheless, here's everything we currently know about Alita 2.

The Alita Movie Ending Sets Up A Sequel

Alita Battle Angel Ending

Alita: Battle Angel most certainly sets up a sequel. The movie deals with Alita discovering her past as a Berserker, growing relationship with "father" Ido, emerging skills at Motorball and romance with cyborg-jacker Hugo, but the is all quite literally in the shadow of a bigger story. The above city of Zalem is a constant Eden in characters' lives, with every character - bar Alita - wanting to escape Iron City to the land above. All this brings, though, is death and pain: Chiren (Jennifer Connelly), Grewishka (Jackie Earle Haley) and Hugo (Keean Johnson) all die as a result of their efforts to get to the city, something Vector (Mahershala Ali) admits is impossible through any means beyond Motorball.

Lingering as a background presence throughout is Nova (revealed in the final moments to be played by Edward Norton), a criminal high up in Zalem, who by the end has provided Alita with her motivation to travel upwards. He sends Grewishka after her, and when Hugo dies trying to climb up to the city, Alita vows to find her way up to Zalem to kill the villain. The movie ends with her embarking on this quest, becoming a Motorball champion to earn her pass upwards.

Alita 2's Story (Based On The Manga)

Battle Angel Alita Manga Art

Alita: Battle Angel is very close to the 1993 Battle Angel anime, which adapted the first two volumes of the manga; both hit similar plot beats and end with Hugo's death. The main differences in terms of ongoing story are the overarching presence of Nova - he's not introduced until later in the manga - and earlier establishment of professional Motorball. These changes along with Battle Angel's otherwise closeness to the source mean we can make a good guess at what Alita 2's story would be.

Related: Alita: Battle Angel Doesn't Have A Post-Credits Scene

In the manga, after Hugo's death Alita does become a Motorball star alongside working as a Hunter-Warrior, only to lose her championship match against Jashugan (played by Jai Courtney in a very brief cameo in Alita: Battle Angel). She ten becomes embroiled in a plot started by Nova where she must kill Zapan (Ed Skrein) in order to resurrect a recently-murdered Ido. She's sentenced to death after doing the deed only to be recruited by a Zalem (in the manga called Tiphares) spec-ops group who gave her a new body and set her on a variety of missions with the ultimate goal of killing Nova. Some variation of these events can be expected in the sequel; very little in the movie contradicts the broad strokes.

Of course, all of this is contingent on an Alita sequel being green-lit, which is a whole other question...

Page 2 of 2: Will Alita 2 Happen & Potential Release Date

Alita Battle Angel Wallpaper

An Alita Sequel Isn't Greenlit Yet - And Will Depend On Box Office

Although there are clearly plans for an Alita: Battle Angel sequel, it hasn't been green-lit yet. Whether another movie happens will depend entirely on whether the first is a success at the box office, something that's very much up in the air.

Box office projections for Alita predict a $20 million opening weekend in the US, an absolute disaster considering the movie cost upwards of $200 million to produce; to break even accounting for promotion and distribution, a movie must make double its budget (in this case, $400 million), meaning Alita is tracking to be a major box office bomb. However, a reprieve could come from China; Battle Angel has had a big push in the ever-important market and has all the makings of a breakout hit when it opens on February 22. The film's already pulling good numbers in other Asian territories, so its possible a US failure could be offset by international tickets. If they're big enough, a sequel could still be green-lit. Although there's another complication closer to home.

Related: Alita Could Have Been A Hit (But James Cameron Chose Avatar Instead)

Disney Buying Fox Makes Alita 2 Even More Complicated

Disney Buys 20th Century Fox

Alita: Battle Angel is 20th Century Fox release. In fact, it may be the company's last release; Disney's purchase of Fox's movie & TV assets is nearing completion, after which the Mouse House will distribute all completed Fox films and have final say on whether those in development move into production.

This means that the decision on Alita 2 actually comes down to Disney, which even with a China box office smash makes a sequel more unlikely; the poor domestic performance will surely be a turn off for a company that now has a lot more properties to play with. That said, Alita's brand potential and connections to James Cameron's Avatar sequels - which are set to be a new jewel in Disney's crown - may give sequel chances a boost.

When Could Alita 2 Release?

Alite Battle Angel Berserker Body Sword

Even if Alita 2 was green-lit today, it would still be a long time until the movie actually released. Alita: Battle Angel had 20-year development, and even after the ball was rolling with director Robert Rodriguez it took two-and-a-half years from rolling cameras to release. Much of that is a result of pre-production delays and technological advancements, both of which would be greatly reduced on a sequel, but even then it would take two-to-three years for a movie to be completed. All that means an Alita: Battle Angel sequel would likely release in 2022 at the earliest.

In the modern blockbuster landscape with new Marvel movies every few months, that's a lifetime, and may further see the project viewed as a gamble if there's questionable interest in the immediate future. For now, Alita: Battle Angel fans should make the most of the IMAX 3D spectacle currently in theaters.

Next: Favorite Alita: Battle Angel Scenes Chosen By Its Filmmakers