Alita: Battle Angel Adds X-Men: Apocalypse's Lana Condor

Lana Condor is moving from X-Men to Alita: Battle Angel. Deadline is reporting the actress has joined James Cameron's sci-fi feature. The film, which is based on a manga by Yukito Kishiro, is slated to hit theaters in 2018.

Condor will reportedly play Koyomi in Alita: Battle Angel. The character is sourced straight from the manga and stands as a supporting character. Koyomi was originally an orphan in the series who is adopted and becomes a member of the Barjack, a rebel army set against Tiphares. In the manga, Koyomi is introduced as a baby and readers watch as she grows older into a young adult.

There's no word on whether Koyomi will be portrayed by other actress in Alita: Battle Angel to show whether the character ages. If not, the casting of Condor may give fans a hint as to when Cameron's adaptation of the manga will take place.

If you're not familiar with Alita: Battle Angel, the manga is set in the post-apocalyptic future where civilians live in squander under a city named Tiphares. The hero Alita is an amnesiac cyborg found by a cybermedic named Daisuke Ido in Scrapyard, a poverty-ridden area where people partake in violent sports and source scrap metal to make a living. When she's awakened, Alita remember nothing except for a form of martial arts known as Panzer Kunst and uses it to become a mercenary cyborg who goes after Scrapyard's criminals. Along the way, she begins to remember details of her past life and discovers the danger she's in.

Throughout the year, several major casting announcements have been released for the film. Rose Salazar nabbed the lead role of Alita: Battle Angel. Spider-Man: Homecoming's Jorge Lendeborg Jr. landed the role of Hugo, one of Alita's "cunning and sly" friends who teaches her how to play the games of the Scrapyard.

The cast will feature Rosa Salazar (Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials), Keean Johnson (Nashville), Christoph Waltz (The Green Hornet), Jackie Earl Haley (Preacher), and Ed Skrein (Deadpool).

Alita: Battle Angel is being distributed by 20th Century Fox. Fox is aiming to start production on Alita: Battle Angel in October 2016. James Cameron will direct the film. He also co-wrote the script alongside Laeta Kalogridis. Lightstorm Entertainment will produce the picture.

Alita: Battle Angel has a scheduled release date of July 20, 2018.

[H/T] Deadline