This past February, Alita: Battle Angel made its debut in theaters worldwide, fulfilling a dream decades in the making. Starting as co-writer/producer James Cameron’s baby, and eventually being transferred to the loving care of director Robert Rodriguez, the film went on to score an impressive gross at the box office, as well as a vocal internet fandom.
Those fans are going to have quite a bit of a wait to endure in order to see Alita: Battle Angel again, as the physical and digital releases are both set to drop throughout the month of July. While the digital release is set for July 9, fans won’t be able to grab a physical copy of the film until July 23, which comes a little over five months after the film’s February 14 theatrical debut.
While we’re not particularly sure about why there’d be such a delay in the release of Alita: Battle Angel, it might be because of the Fox/Disney merger that also caused delays, reshufflings and in some cases cancellations to come down on projects that the now joined studios had on their respective dockets. But what we can be sure of is that when it finally does hit shelves this summer, there are going to be quite a few awesome extras along for the ride.
As promised, Robert Rodriguez is including one of his patented “10 Minute Cooking School” segments, this time teaching the audience at home how to make the Iron City chocolate that Rosa Salazar’s Alita fell in love with as one of her first food experiences in the world. Also included are various features that detail the story of Alita: Battle Angel’s extended development process, complete with a concept art gallery from James Cameron’s work on the film back in 2005.
Most promising, though, is the inclusion of three motion comics that flesh out the world of Alita: Battle Angel: “The Fall,” “Iron City,” and “Rules of the Game.” Each of those shorts will help the audience learn more about the infamous events that preceded those of the film, as well as draw more depth into the city itself, and the sport of Motorball.
While the chances of a sequel are still up in the air when it comes to the live-action adaptation of author Yukito Kishiro’s work, there’s always the possibility that impressive rental and sales figures could boost those chances significantly. So if you happen to be a fan of Alita: Battle Angel, or have been curious to see what the fuss is all about, these details will help you become battle ready for the home video release of this imaginative epic of future combat.
Alita: Battle Angel will be on Digital HD on July 9, with 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and DVD releases all rolling out on July 23.
