Ed Skrein Joining James Cameron’s Alita: Battle Angel

James Cameron may still be busy working on the sequels to Avatar, but he’s also finding the time to bring one of his other longtime projects to the big screen, Alita: Battle Angel. He won’t be directing, as that job’s gone to Robert Rodriguez, but as producer Cameron will be able to ensure the movie will get made after well over a decade in the works.

Casting has begun, with the latest to join being Deadpool villain Ed Skrein, according to Variety. Assuming his deal goes through, the British actor will be one of the movies villains.

The film itself is about ‘a 26th century cyborg who’s rescued from a scrapyard and reassembled. Her character, Alita, who only remembers her training in a deadly martial art, becomes a hunter-warrior who tracks down vicious criminals.’

Rosa Salazar will play the cyborg, with Jackie Earle Haley and Christoph Waltz also starring. The movie is set for release July 2018, with Fox betting big on it, by giving it a $200 million budget.