Every month, a new batch of movies arrives on the biggest streaming services out there, giving subscribers something fresh to check out. They can be brand new releases, legendary classics that people want to watch over and over, or hidden gems that deserve a second chance to impress a viewer. That last point is the case with one of the latest films to hit Peacock, as it made over $400 million worldwide, yet was still overlooked by far too many people.
That film landing on Peacock on July 1 is Alita: Battle Angel. Released in 2019, the sci-fi project features a unique and impressive visual style and is directed by Robert Rodriguez, who has previously helmed From Dusk Till Dawn, Desperado, Spy Kids, Sin City, and The Faculty, just to name a few. It was also co-written by James Cameron, who also acts as a producer, giving the movie about as good a duo as you can find in the genre.
Despite having all that going for it, Alita: Battle Angel was still ignored by a lot of people upon arrival and it has even been forgotten over just a handful of years. Now that the project has arrived on Peacock, more viewers can give it the opportunity it deserves, as this visually stunning, action-packed film is one of the best from Rodriguez and Cameron.
Alita: Battle Angel Is A Great Sci-Fi Movie
Alita: Battle Angel is one of those films that didn’t receive the reviews it deserved when it was first released and those who have seen it have helped it gain more appreciation over the years. The premise of the movie might not be all that new, yet it works well. The story centers on the titular Alita, a cyborg who wakes up with no memory of her past and looks to find out more about herself while in the care of a compassionate doctor. Alita also finds friends in town and battles against a criminal entrepreneur.
Reviews for Alita: Battle Angel were relatively mixed upon release, with the Rotten Tomatoes score sitting at a middling 61%. However, the Popcornmeter, which records the ratings from users on the website rather than critics, is at a whopping 91%. That means that a vast majority of the people who have seen Alita: Battle Angel liked what they saw. It also has a 7.3/10 rating on IMDb, which is also from non-critics, again showcasing how much people enjoy the movie.
The visuals are a major selling point, as Alita is depicted through an impressive combination of CGI and motion capture. It allows them to keep Alita feeling realistic, while also letting her do things that a human can’t pull off. The performances are also great, with Rosa Salazar delivering tremendous work as Alita. Christoph Waltz, Jennifer Connelly, Mahershala Ali, Lana Condor, Eiza González and more make up a stellar supporting cast.
Alita: Battle Angel Has Become Something Of A Cult Classic
When Alita: Battle Angel came out, it grossed just over $400 million worldwide. That’s a strong box office number on the surface, but given that the film cost around $200 million to make, it wasn’t the hugely profitable flick that the studio was likely hoping for. However, the movie has gained popularity across the 2020s, becoming a cult classic quicker than a lot of films usually do. The fans who love Alita: Battle Angel are passionate about it too.
About a year after Alita: Battle Angel initially came out, those fans took to social media to campaign for a re-release at Cinemark in hopes of pumping up interest in a potential sequel. Robert Rodriguez supported the campaign, and soon after, James Cameron announced that it would hit select theaters again. There has even been a social media hashtag that still has traction going, #AlitaArmy, which is important to keeping its cult status.
Rodriguez spoke about the cult status of Alita: Battle Angel, saying that the fans haven’t let anybody forget just how much they love the film. He also said that he prefers this to having a hit movie that people forget about in a few years. There’s a lasting impact and legacy to Alita: Battle Angel and hopefully its arrival on Peacock can add to that.
There Are Plans For An Alita: Battle Angel Sequel
The re-release in theaters did happen in 2020, yet talk about a sequel remained quiet. Alita: Battle Angel did set itself up for future installments, including with the casting of Edward Norton in a speaking role that was designed to establish him for a follow-up film. The same goes for the cameos by the likes of Jai Courtney and Michelle Rodriguez. Cameron and Rodriguez said they’d like to make more movies, but Christoph Waltz said he had heard nothing.
Waltz also noted that Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox, which distributed Alita: Battle Angel, could play a factor, as it depended on what Disney would want to do with the property. A positive note came in late 2022, when Cameron and Rodriguez made a virtual blood oath to produce a sequel. That marked the start of several new bits of information over the past three or so years that have reignited hope for an Alita: Battle Angel sequel.
Producer Jon Landau confirmed that a sequel was actively in development, confirming that negotiations were going on involving Robert Rodriguez returning to direct and Rosa Salazar returning as the titular Alita. James Cameron has also made it clear that he’s working on writing more than one sequel. The man is incredibly busy with the Avatar franchise, though the uncertainty of its future opens up time for pen more Alita: Battle Angel projects.
The most recent update about a potential sequel came at the tail end of 2025. James Cameron confirmed that he is actively working on the script with Rodriguez. He claimed they have a way to bridge things over to a potential third film that they’d like to do but that they’d be satisfied with one more opportunity in this world. There’s no doubt that finding new life on Peacock would help the chances of future Alita: Battle Angel sequels, so it’s a great time to get out there and give it a chance.
- Release Date
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February 14, 2019
- Runtime
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122 minutes
- Director
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Robert Rodriguez