‘Watchmen’ and ‘The Dark Tower’ star Jackie Earle Haley has signed on to join Rosa Salazar (‘Man Seeking Woman’) and Christoph Waltz (‘‘Inglourious Basterds,’ ‘Spectre’) for Hollywood’s big screen take on Yukito Kishiro’s popular manga and graphic novel series ‘Alita: Battle Angel.’
With Robert Rodriguez directing and James Cameron producing, the ambitious adaptation takes place in the 26th century and centres on Alita, an amnesiac female cyborg (Salazar) who is rescued from a scrapyard by a bounty-hunting cybernetic doctor (played by Waltz), who names her after his deceased cat. The rebuilt Alita, remembering only her training in a deadly martial art, becomes a hunter-warrior, tracking down and eliminating vicious criminals.
According to THR, Haley will play “a monstrous cyborg in a villain role that will call for plenty of CG and green screen.”
The filmmakers are hoping to kick off production next month in Austin, Texas..