Oscar night is a night of hope, as the various nominees sit in the Dolby Theater crossing their fingers as wait to hear their names called as a winner throughout the night’s festivities. But for the internet fanbase known as the Alita Army, it was a hopeful night for another reason, as the banner that was intended to raise awareness for a potential sequel to Alita: Battle Angel flew high in the sky as planned.
What began as a modest GoFundMe campaign that was set up to raise the funds needed to create and fly a banner that read “#AlitaSequel #AlitaArmy” resulted in the aforementioned message sailing in the air over Los Angeles and taking a path that brought it not only over the Oscars, but also to some other interesting places.
You can see one of the various posts that showed the flight in action, courtesy of the photo below.
As if that wasn’t enough to make Alita: Battle Angel fans proud, there was some additional good news of which the Alita Army can claim to be a part. While the initial fundraising threshold for the banner and its flight was set at $1,810, the group pledged that all funds past that point would to go the robotic prosthesis company Open Bionics – an organization with thematic connections to elements of the blockbuster that inspired the campaign.
In the name of fully funding a “Hero Arm” for someone in need, the Alita Army has raised $8,660 to date, and thanks to the rather prodigious effort this campaign has executed, the fundraiser is still running, aiming for a new stretch goal of $15,000. This figure covers the cost of the arm, the clinical costs associated with crafting that arm for whomever it goes to, and the funds already allocated to the banner and plane rental.
While there’s most definitely a philanthropic aim that’s coupled with this fundraiser, the original goal still remains: to inspire executives in Hollywood to create a sequel to director Robert Rodriguez’s sci-fi epic Alita: Battle Angel. Their efforts aren’t only seen in the skies, as Alita fans have also flooded Twitter with reasons for why they feel a follow-up is necessary.
All of this comes at a pretty opportune time, as this Friday marks the one year anniversary of Alita: Battle Angel’s theatrical release. While the film made a pretty solid $404.9 million at the worldwide box office, there has yet to be any kind of official confirmation or rejection regarding a sequel to the James Cameron-produced blockbuster. It probably doesn’t help circumstances that the merger between Disney and what was once known as 20th Century Fox has now been completed. The newly minted 20th Century Studios has a reduced slate of films that is aiming to stay in the five-to-six picture arena. With a good amount of real estate already earmarked for particular films, such as the remaining 20th Century Fox projects being released in 2020 and the future Avatar sequels, it’s a picture that looks rather bleak.
Hope still springs eternal, though, as we saw the Alita Army fly their colors high on Twitter in order to signal that they aren’t going anywhere. It’s a story of determination that Alita herself would admire, with a good heart that Dr. Ido would confirm could power Iron City for years. If you’re a fan of Alita: Battle Angel that wants to see Number 99 in the fight once again, heed the words of various persons involved in the production of that first film: keep making noise, and let Disney hear your wishes!
Alita: Battle Angel is available on home video, and is currently showing on HBO and its various streaming platforms. If you’re looking to donate to the Alita Army’s GoFundMe campagin, you can check that out for yourself as well.
