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After years in development hell, James Cameron is finally bring his live action adaptation of Battle Angel to the big screen. To share more about the film and its development, a special panel was presented at Crunchyroll Expo that was hosted by the team behind it.

Alita: Battle Angel – From Manga to Film was a panel featuring Robert Rodriguez, Rosa Salazar, and Jon Landau. This was one of the most popular panels during the weekend and it was held on the main stage.

The panel started with a special message from series creator Yukito Kishiro, who shared his thoughts of the film and what he hopes the audience gets out of it. After the message, a new trailer for the film was featured before the guests were brought on stage.

Once on stage, they began to discuss what it was like working with James Cameron and how they tried to work with his script while staying true to the source material. Trying to bring Battle Angel to life has been a challenge (especially since so many live action adaptations fail) however everyone is confident this will break the trend thanks to Cameron’s leadership.

Other highlights that were talked about was when Salazar first met Kishiro on the film set. This was the first time they have met and this was when Kishiro expressed how much confidence he had in the films cast and creative team.

When ask what series would he like to adopt after Alita: Battle Angel, Rodriguez stated that he has a passion for making a live action adaptation of JoJo’s Bizzare Adventure (a response that was meet with thunderous applause from the audience). However; what story arch he would like to adopt was not stated.

After the panel, those who attended received a Chip (the currency used in the Battle Angel universe). These are the same ones that are used in the movie, hence fans got to walk away with a movie prop.

Alita: Battle Angel – From Manga to Film was one of many panels during the Crunchyroll Expo weekend that discussed new releases and trends in the anime / manga industry. Alita: Battle Angel is a live action adaptation of the acclaimed manga and anime series that  is set to be released on December 21st, 2018.

Did you get a chance to check out Alita: Battle Angel – From Manga to Film or other events at Crunchyroll Expo 2018? If so then share your story in the comment section below.

Disclaimer: Crunchyroll Expo provided me with a pass for the weekend.

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