Michelle Rodriguez Secretly Joined Robert Rodriguez’s Alita: Battle Angel

Despite production wrapping last week, EW brings word that actress Michelle Rodriguez is part of the cast of Robert Rodriguez’s upcoming manga adaptation, Alita: Battle Angel, and it somehow remained a secret this whole time. Rodriguez is set to play Gelda, whom the outlet describes as a slim cyborg warrior in the source material. This marks Rodriguez’s third collaboration with the director following the two Machete films.

She joins a cast that includes Rosa Salazar in the title role, along with Academy Award winner Christoph Waltz, Jackie Earl Haley, Ed Skrein, Eiza Gonzales, Lana Condor, Leonard Wu, Jennifer Connelly, and Mahershala Ali.

Set in the 26th century, Alita: Battle Angel tells the story of Alita, an amnesiac female cyborg who is rescued from a scrapyard by Dyson. The rebuilt Alita, remembering only her training in a deadly martial art, becomes a hunter-warrior, tracking down and eliminating vicious criminals. Within the context of an epic action-adventure, the film aims to explore a young woman’s journey of self-discovery and finding love.

James Cameron had been developing the big screen adaptation for more than a decade, but now that he’s is in pre-production on four Avatar sequels, he has his hands a little full and has turned the Alita reins over to Sin City director Robert Rodriguez. The film is now in post-production and slated for a July 20, 2018 release.

(Photo Credit: Getty Images)

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