![Jennifer Connelly to Play a Villain in ‘Alita: Battle Angel’](http://townsquare.media/site/442/files/2017/02/Jennifer-Connelly.jpg?w=630&h=420&zc=1&s=0&a=t&q=89&w=980&q=75)
Jennifer Connelly to Play a Villain in ‘Alita: Battle Angel’
You may ask yourself, “Why on earth would Jennifer Connelly, of all people, sign on for a James Cameron-produced Robert Rodriguez film based on a manga?!” — in which case I assume you’ve forgotten all about the gloriously bonkers and delightfully terrible film A Winter’s Tale. Wacky Akiva Goldsman fever dreams aside, surely there’s a logical explanation, like maybe she looked at the cast list, which includes Christoph Waltz and recent awards season favorite Mahershala Ali. Maybe Jennifer Connelly loves Moonlight — see, there’s a silver lining to everything.
THR reports that Connelly has joined the cast of Alita: Battle Angel, the latest CGI f— fest project from Robert Rodriguez, who is currently filming at his studios in Austin, Texas — which, by the way, features a giant warehouse covered floor to ceiling and wall-to-wall in green screen (in case you were wondering what sort of Austin scenery could possibly fit in with a manga adaptation).
James Cameron is producing Alita, which he originally eyed as a directing vehicle for himself, but ultimately stepped back to focus on his 72 (and counting) Avatar sequels.
The film stars Rosa Salazar (Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials) in the title role as a female cyborg who is rescued from a junkyard by a kind scientist. Though she boasts incredible martial-arts skills, Alita remembers nothing from her previous life (sort of like Ghost in the Shell), and so she does the only logical thing by becoming a bounty hunter. Connelly will play one of the film’s villains, while Waltz is defying typecasting in the role of the kindly scientist Dr. Dyson Ido — oh, cool, they didn’t bother to change the name, so I guess Waltz is Japanese now.
More From 96.5 KVKI
![Kidnapping Charges Filed In Missing Toddler Case](http://townsquare.media/site/184/files/2017/02/IMG_35761-e1486500433995.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![You Can Own A Piece Of Shreveport History](http://townsquare.media/site/183/files/2017/02/Shreveport-Country-Club-Douglas-W.-Abington-Sealy-Real-Estate-Services-e1486499820844.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![‘Throw Shade,’ ‘Binge-Watch’ Among Merriam-Webster’s 1,000 New Words](http://townsquare.media/site/341/files/2017/02/Dictionary.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Rosie O’Donnell Willing to Play Steve Bannon on ‘SNL’ to Enrage Donald Trump](http://townsquare.media/site/252/files/2017/02/rosie-odonnell-steve-bannon.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Arnold Schwarzenegger Wants an Apology (and Maybe Some Revenge) in the ‘Aftermath’ Trailer](http://townsquare.media/site/442/files/2017/02/arnold-schwarzenegger-aftermath-trailer.png?w=980&q=75)
![‘Veep’ Season 6 Sets April Premiere to Remind Us What Might Have Been](http://townsquare.media/site/442/files/2017/02/veep-season-6-premiere-pic.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Lady Gaga Finally Gives ‘Drag Race’ Cause to Use ‘Bad RuMance’ Pun](http://townsquare.media/site/252/files/2017/02/lady-gaga-rupauls-drag-race-season-9-contestants1.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![2-Ton Target Ball Rolls Away, Hits Unsuspecting Car](http://townsquare.media/site/341/files/2017/02/Target.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Dwayne Johnson Teams With Stephen Merchant For ‘Fighting With My Family’ Wrestling Film](http://townsquare.media/site/442/files/2017/02/Stephen-Merchant-Dwayne-Johnson-Paige-movie.jpg?w=980&q=75)