'Alita: Battle Angel' Cast, Crew To Make Special Appearance At Crunchyroll Expo 2018

Crunchyroll Expo is just around the corner, and the much-awaited event has a rather special surprise in store for attendees. Thanks to Crunchyroll, ComicBook can confirm the expo will host cast and crew members of Alita: Battle Angel to hype the live-action film's impending release!

The convention will host director Robert Rodriguez, producer Jon Landau, and star Rosa Salazar for a panel on September 1. The trio will appear at 'Alita: Battle Angel — From Manga to Film' to take attendees behind-the-scenes and share their journey bringing anime into the real world.

You can check out the panel's full details below:

"Saturday, September 1
Alita: Battle Angel - From Manga to Film

is a classic, highly influential manga in both Japan and the US, and the path to bring it to the big screen has been a long one. Alita: Battle Angel is really happening, and Crunchyroll Expo is pleased to present Director Robert Rodriguez, Producer Jon Landau, and Alita herself, Rosa Salazar, as they talk about the upcoming film!

If you aren't registered to Crunchyroll Expo yet, then you still have some time to get your travel plans in order. The convention will take place September 1-3 in San Jose, California. Tickets are available online until August 27, and attendees will be able to check out guests such as Ryo Horikawa, Johnny Weir, Justin Briner, Colleen Clinkenbeard, and more.

For those unfamiliar with Battle Angel Alita (GUNNM in Japan), the series was originally created by Yukito Kishiro. The series is set in a post-apocalyptic future and follows Alita, a cyborg who is found in a garbage heap by a doctor and rebuilt. Completely devoid of her memory, all she has to cling to is a legendary cyborg martial art known as Panzer Kunst. With this knowledge, Alita decides to become a bounty hunter. Originally published in Shueisha's Weekly Business Jump in 1990, it was collected into nine volumes and licensed for an English language release by Viz Media.

The series was adapted into a short anime OVA series, and was the only anime adaptation to date. The film, Alita: Battle Angel, had been struck with production delays for several years before finally debuting its first trailer. Alita: Battle Angel will be directed by Robert Rodriguez, produced by James Cameron and Jon Landau, stars Rosa Salazar (as the titular Alita), Christoph Waltz, Jennifer Connelly, Mahershala Ali, Ed Skrein, Jackie Earle Haley and will hit theaters December 21, 2018.

Will you be checking out this panel at Crunchyroll Expo? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime!