Avatar: The Way of Water's tremendous box office success makes a sequel to Alita: Battle Angel significantly more likely. Avatar: The Way of Water was finally realized 13 years after the release of 2009's Avatar, itself being a return to directing for Cameron after 1997's Titanic. In between the Avatar sequels, Cameron also succeeded in realizing another pet project of his with 2019's Alita: Battle Angel. Based on Yukito Kishiro's manga Gunnm, Cameron co-wrote and produced the film with Robert Rodriguez directing.
During the press tour for The Way of Water, Cameron and producer Jon Landau made numerous comments indicating they hope to finally get Alita 2 rolling, with Cameron and Rodriguez even swearing a "blood oath" for it during one interview. With all three and leading lady Rosa Salazar all still clearly interested in continuing the Alita universe, it remains a question of 20th Century Studios's parent company Disney giving it the go-ahead. Meanwhile, The Way of Water might end up being the perfect bargaining chip for it
Avatar 2's Success Could Be Used As Leverage For Alita 2
Prior to the release of The Way of Water, there was widespread commentary that the first Avatar did not register a deep cultural impact and that the long gap between it and the sequel would prove commercially detrimental to the latter. However, the old adage of "Never bet against James Cameron" has rung truer than ever with the gargantuan box office success of The Way of Water. With the sequel defying every box office projection, Avatar: The Way of Water earning $2.5 billion is likely, which can be used as leverage to get Alita 2 greenlit soon.
The comments made by Cameron, Landau, and Rodriguez prior to The Way of Water's release seem to point to the trio hoping that the film's box office success could provide them with negotiating power for further chapters in Alita's story. With no end in sight for how high The Way of Water could climb, the business case for Cameron and Rodriguez's intended Alita sequels (to be titled Alita: Fallen Angel and Alita: Avenging Angel) might well have reached its peak.
Why Alita 2 Needs To Happen
Alita exceeded box office expectations with its $405 million haul, though its $170 million budget made it understandable that Disney would need convincing to greenlight Alita 2. Even so, Alita: Battle Angel is one of the few live-action manga or anime adaptations to enjoy genuine popularity on the big screen. The cult following Alita: Battle Angel has developed since the movie's release (her fanbase dubbed "the Alita Army") demonstrates that Alita has resonated as a character, while her source material offers fertile ground to build on.
The Alita manga is a sweeping, fully realized futuristic world of cyborgs and larger-than-life characters and settings in a dystopian future. With a complete dearth of comparable manga and anime adaptations, Alita virtually has the market cornered in building upon the first movie's cliffhanger ending. With nothing else like Alita among mainstream cinema or streaming releases, Disney could mine a world with vast potential and no direct competition in Alita's future adventures. With Avatar: The Way of Water's box office success, Disney would be wise to take Cameron, Landau, and Rodriguez up on their future plans for the Alita: Battle Angel franchise.
