Christoph Waltz is in negotiations for a leading role in the adaptation of Yukito Kishiro’s manga series Battle Angel Alita, THR is reporting.

The film will be directed by Robert Rodriguez and produced by James Cameron. Maze Runner actress Rosa Salazar has been cast as the lead (see “Mid-June Geek Film Casting Round-Up”). If he is cast, Waltz will play Doctor Dyson Ido, the cybersurgeon who finds Alita at a local dump and revives her.

The Fox film is currently scheduled to release in theaters on July 20, 2018 (see “Best in Shows Update: Two Fox Marvel Movies Rescheduled”).

VIZ Media released in the graphic novels in the U.S. in the 1990s.