The new film by James Cameron and Robert Rodriguez, Alita: Battle Angel, is a fantasy and action production highlighting the lead role of Rosa Salazar, the actress of Peruvian origin who plays Alita.

Alita: Battle Angel premiered this past February 14 with a formidable cast of actors, including Mahershala Ali, Jennifer Connelly, Lana Condor and Michelle Rodriguez.

ROSA SALAZAR, THE LEADING ROLE IN “ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL”

Alita: Battle Angel promises to be one of the key productions of the season. It is an innovative film that, according to critics, offers an impressive result that comes from combining creativity and digital technology.

Co-produced by Canada, Argentina and the United States, the film falls under the cyberpunk action genre and is based on the Gunnm manga by mangaka Yukito Kishiro.

Rosa Salazar gives life to an amnesiac cyborg that wakes up in a post-apocalyptic dystopia, looking for answers about who she is and where she came from.

SALAZAR, THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING  LATINA

The protagonist was born in Washington D.C. in 1985, but is of Peruvian descent and usually honors her origins. In recent weeks she has made statements emphasizing the fact that, for the first time, a Hispanic actress stars in a film of this genre. Salazar told The Hollywood Reporter that this is one of the aspects that most interests her about the film.

Bustle magazine recently pointed out that the fact that this is Salazar’s first major lead role is important because of the significance of her casting within the genre.

Five Latino actresses who provoke with their beauty

Many fantasy and action movies still have white male leads, including great franchises like The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Harry Potter and the majority of Marvel films. She is the first Latina.

Rosa Salazar
Rosa Salazar was born in Washington D.C. in 1985 and is of Peruvian descent.

In an interview with AV Club, Salazar highlights how relevant it is to have an on-screen representation in a production with these characteristics. “When you have a Latina actress who plays the lead role, I want young Latinas to be inspired to achieve their goals.”

“I’m always grateful to be hired, especially as a Latino woman in this business,” she adds. “And I’m always grateful when the most essential part of my character is not that she’s Latina.”

A LONG TRACK RECORD IN CINEMA AND TV

The Peruvian-American began her career in 2010, appearing in several CollegeHumor videos. Ten years ago she appeared in a sketch in which she was one of the guests at a barbecue organized by former President Barack Obama.

She has appeared on numerous hit television shows, including American Horror Story: Murder House, Parenthood and Comedy Bang!

Before Alita: Battle Angel, Rosa played Brenda in two installments of the Maze Runner saga. She has also appeared on screen in a supporting role in the hit Netflix series, Bird Box.

“This job is like winning the lottery – 70 times – and then you have to keep winning the lottery,” said Salazar recently. Her character in Alita is a technical revelation for the eye, created with a VFX so amazingly clear and realistic that it seems to be a completely new way of life.