With Jennifer Connelly joining the cast and reportedly playing a villain (or villainess, if you will) that brings the count of known evil-doers in the film to four (possibly five). Fans are currently speculating on who Connelly could be playing as all of the primary antagonists in Yukito Kishiro manga are male. Is Connelly playing Chiren, Dr. Ido former assistant? Or could she be playing Desty Nova's assistant, Eelai?
Another possibility is that the film could be gender swapping characters and Connelly is playing Desty Nova. Bringing in someone of Connelly's stature to play a minor, assistant role seems beneath her so it's possible that she's playing the dastardly Nova.
Basaed on the casting and characters, it appears that the film is taking its ques from the Battle Angel Alita OVA rather than the manga.
PLOT DESCRIPTION (per THR)
Set in the 26th century, Alita tells of a female cyborg (Salazar) that is discovered in a scrapyard by a scientist. With no memory of her previous life except her deadly martial-arts training, the woman becomes a bounty hunter, tracking down criminals. The action-adventure story is meant to serve as a backdrop to themes of self-discovery and the search for love.
The full cast for the film includes:
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Rosa Salazar as Alita
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Christoph Waltz as Dr. Ido
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Jackie Earle Haley is rumored to be playing Desty Nova or possibly Kaos
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Ed Skrein as Zapan
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Mahershala Ali as Vector
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Keean Johnson as Hugo
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Lana Condor as Koyomi
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Leonard Wu as Kinuba
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Marko Zaror as Ajakutty
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Jorge Lendeborg Jr. as Van/Tanji
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Eiza Gonzales in an undisclosed role
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Jennifer Connelly in an undisclosed role
Robert Rodriguez directs, while James Cameron serves as executive producer. Cameron and Laeta Kalogridis wrote the script.
Alita: Battle Angel currently has a July 20, 2018 release date.