It’s been nearly a decade since Yukito Kishiro finished the Battle Angel series. I’ve been through college and grad school, gotten a job, gotten a mortgage, gotten a cat… you know, I’ve grown up. I still have those comic books and graphic novels in a box in a back bedroom, though. I still remember the thrill of them. I still have a vague cyborg fetish…
Anyway. Last night just for yucks I started searching the web for a nice, large, clear copy of the cover of the first graphic novel in the series. And what did I find?
James Cameron–Titanic’s James Cameron–is planning to make a trilogy out of Battle Angel.
Jaw drop. I couldn’t decide whether it was more important to hyperventilate or cry. I’m soooooooooooooo excited.
I’ve never heard of this series before, but you should know that this was listed on various movie websites as Cameron’s “next project” almost from the moment Titanic was finished. Which as we all know was over a decade ago.
Since then he’s been doing his underwater IMAX movies and he’s in the middle of filming Avatar (his real next project) now. I wouldn’t hold your breath for any Battle Angel movies for a long time.
Battle Angel is projected (last I read) to be shot in all 3D with Alita being fully rendered.
Personally, I’m pumped. James Cameron is probably the best special effects director there is, and while not the best actor director, they still do better under him by miles than they do for George Lucas. And he’s had decent to amazing taste in scripts so far.
And I’ll just note that there’s a second Alita series being released in Japan. I don’t know if it’s being translated yet. Kishiro’s Aqua Knights has been. Personally, I like Aqua Knights the best of his works, and the new Alita (Gunnm) the least, but they’re all good.
It’s been known fot a year or two (?) that Battle Angle was gonna be his BIG movie after he perfects his new 3D technology with Avatar. He’s saving that one, until he knows he can pull it off right.
From what I’ve been reading, We’ll get Avatar at the end of 2009. Then, either it’ll be Battle Angel or a smaller drama that he’s got on the plate after that. But all in all, I think I read he’s got 5 movies lined up for his 3D technology. Expect good things soon enough, and keep one eye on Ain’t it Cool News, they always have Cameron updates and are on one to one speaking terms with the man.