Both James Cameron and Robert Rodriguez are busy men, with the former currently filming his handful of Avatar sequels in New Zealand and the latter hard at work on Netflix’s upcoming film We Can Be Heroes. So it’s not like they’re exactly sitting on a lot of extra social media time on their hands. However, with the Alita: Battle Angel re-release campaign in full effect, both of these titanic figures behind the fan-favorite manga adaptation have found time to lend their voices to those that want the public to give Alita a warm welcome back to theaters.
The legendary sci-fi master who started Alita: Battle Angel on its journey, and the hot shot filmmaker who gave her those cinematic wings, have weighed in on the big bring back in the past day. Most surprisingly James Cameron, someone who isn’t a huge Twitter user in the first place, took to Twitter to throw his vote of support into the ring. Check out his message:
Two really huge pieces of information stick out when it comes to this Alita: Battle Angel tweet from James Cameron. The first is the fact that while he did develop this project over the span of about 20 years, in the end Cameron decided to devote his attention to Avatar in the long run. There were two worlds that the man behind The Terminator and Titanic had in mind at the same time, but the wonders of Pandora were the ones that won out. But with clear affection still felt for Alita: Battle Angel, he’s been supportive of the project every step of the way; right down to stumping for the big re-release that the Alita Army has been waiting for.
A larger finding is that the art included in James Cameron’s tweet for Alita: Battle Angel actually looks like it’s studio sanctioned PR material. While it’s as simple as adding the message “Back In Theaters – October 30,” this isn’t a callback for any specific theater chain’s participation. As both Regal and Cinemark had officially announced their participation in the past, only Cinemark currently stands as going ahead with the re-release campaign set for the end of the month. This is unfortunately due to Regal Cinemas’ decision to close the doors of all locations in the US and UK, thanks to major releases being postponed throughout the year. So those who are hoping for AMC Theatres to officially get in the game may have even more hope on their side, thanks to James Cameron.
Even with the massive support of Cameron behind Alita: Battle Angel’s resurrection, what type of a campaign would this be if director Robert Rodriguez didn’t take part? As he weighed in with a more direct ask for fans to buy tickets to Cinemark Theaters’ big event, the cinematic Doc Ido to Alita: Battle Angel’s very existence rallied behind the charge with his own battle cry.
In a world that has seen movie theaters welcoming attendance, but the numbers signaling that there’s either not as much interest, or not the right content to draw the crowds, Alita: Battle Angel’s re-release feels like it could be an outlier that the big chains have been waiting for. While social distancing and theater availability might not be the same as a modest blockbuster in the before times, the results could be enough to show the world that Alita: Battle Angel is still in the hearts and minds of so many. Then again, if you can get James Cameron and Robert Rodriguez to tweet about the re-issue of a movie they both released almost two years ago, that has to say something doesn’t it?
Alita: Battle Angel will be back in select Cinemark theaters on October 30th, and you can get your tickets now for the big night! But if you’re more interested in supporting the film in the comfort of your own home, you can purchase or rent the film on digital and physical formats, as well as watch/stream Alita on her new cable TV home at Cinemax and MaxGo.
