When Alita awakens with no memory of who she is in a future world she does not recognize, she is taken in by Ido, a compassionate doctor who realizes that somewhere in this abandoned cyborg shell is the heart and soul of a young woman with an extraordinary past. As Alita learns to navigate her new life and the treacherous streets of Iron City, Ido tries to shield her from her mysterious history while her street-smart new friend Hugo offers instead to help trigger her memories. But it is only when the deadly and corrupt forces that run the city come after Alita that she discovers a clue to her past—she has unique fighting abilities that those in power will stop at nothing to control. If she can stay out of their grasp, she could be the key to saving her friends, her family and the world she’s grown to love.

What is the budget of Alita Battle Angel?

"Alita Battle Angel," an action released in 2019, was directed by Robert Rodriguez and stars Rosa Salazar, Christoph Waltz. The production budget was $170,000,000, placing it in the blockbuster range for action productions of its era.

Key Budget Allocation Categories

While specific budget breakdowns are not publicly available, typical cost drivers for an action production like this include:

Stunts, Action Sequences & Visual Effects: Action films allocate a substantial portion of their budget to choreographing and executing practical stunts, pyrotechnics, and CGI-heavy sequences.
Above-the-Line Talent (Cast & Director): A-list talent commands significant upfront fees plus backend participation.
Production Design, Sets & Locations: Action films frequently require multiple international shooting locations, large-scale set construction, vehicle acquisitions and modifications, and specialized equipment , all of which drive production costs well above those of dialogue-driven genres.
Casting: An April 2016 article in The Hollywood Reporter reported that Maika Monroe, Rosa Salazar, and Zendaya were among the final actresses being considered to take the role of Alita in the film, with a decision due within a few weeks.

What were the major cost factors in Alita Battle Angel?

Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Alita Battle Angel."

Stunts: Stunts, Action Sequences & Visual Effects is one of the primary cost drivers in action productions of this scale.
Above-the-Line Talent (Cast: Above-the-Line Talent (Cast & Director) is one of the primary cost drivers in action productions of this scale.
Production Design: Production Design, Sets & Locations is one of the primary cost drivers in action productions of this scale.

How Does Alita Battle Angel's Budget Compare to Similar Films?

At $170,000,000, Alita Battle Angel sits in the blockbuster range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:

Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016): Budget $170,000,000, Worldwide Gross $299,457,024
47 Ronin (2013): Budget $175,000,000, Worldwide Gross $151,783,839
The Dark Knight (2008): Budget $185,000,000, Worldwide Gross $1,004,558,444
Alexander (2004): Budget $155,000,000, Worldwide Gross $167,298,192
6 Underground (2019): Budget $150,000,000

The median budget for wide-release action films in the 2010s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.

Alita Battle Angel Box Office Performance

"Alita Battle Angel" earned $85,838,210 domestically and $405,000,000 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $170,000,000, the film showed modest profitability in theatrical release.

A film typically needs to earn approximately twice its production budget to cover marketing and distribution costs. For "Alita Battle Angel," that break-even threshold was roughly $340,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $405,000,000, the film cleared that threshold comfortably.

Production Budget: $170,000,000
Worldwide Gross: $405,000,000
Net Return: $235,000,000
ROI: approximately 138.2%

At 138.2%, "Alita Battle Angel" earned roughly $2.38 for every $1 invested in production.

Alita Battle Angel Production History

An April 2016 article in The Hollywood Reporter reported that Maika Monroe, Rosa Salazar, and Zendaya were among the final actresses being considered to take the role of Alita in the film, with a decision due within a few weeks. In August 2016, it was reported that Christoph Waltz was in negotiations to play Dr. Dyson Ido, the equivalent of Daisuke Ido from the original manga.

The film began shooting at Robert Rodriguez's Troublemaker Studios in Austin, Texas on October 17, 2016, and concluded on February 9, 2017. In late January 2017, a casting call went out looking for rocker, punk, or emo extras to film scenes in Austin on the nights of February 3, 6 and 7, 2017. Salazar went through "five months of exhaustive martial arts training" to prepare for the action sequences in the film, learning Eagle Claw Kung Fu, Muay Thai, and staff work.

On December 17, 2018, it was announced that English-Albanian singer Dua Lipa would have a song featured on the film's soundtrack titled "Swan Song". The song and official music video were released on January 24, 2019, with the official music video directed by Floria Sigismondi. Tom Holkenborg composed the score for the film as well as the song "Swan Song" as a co-writer.

Awards and Recognition

10 wins & 25 nominations total

Critical Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, Alita: Battle Angel holds an approval rating of based on reviews, with an average rating of . The website's critical consensus reads, "Alita: Battle Angels story struggles to keep up with its special effects, but fans of futuristic sci-fi action may still find themselves more than sufficiently entertained." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 53 out of 100, based on 49 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.