Nashville star Keean Johnson has scored a key role in the upcoming manga adaptation Alita: Battle Angel, with THR reporting that he’s set to play Hugo, the male love interest opposite Rosa Salazar’s title character. He won the part ahead of competition from Avan Jogia (Tut), Douglas Booth (Jupiter Ascending), Jack Lowden (Dunkirk) and Noah Silver (Tyrant).
Alita takes place in the 26th century, and follows a female cyborg (Salazar) who is discovered in a scrap yard and repaired by a scientist. She has no memory of her previous life, except for deadly martial arts training, and becomes a bounty hunter, tracking down criminals whilst searching for clues to her past.
Robert Rodriguez is directing the film adaptation of Yukito Kishiro’s sci-fi series, with James Cameron producing. Salazar and Johnson will be joined in the cast by Christoph Waltz (Spectre), Jackie Earle Haley (Preacher) and Ed Skrein (Deadpool), and the movie is slated for release on July 20th, 2018.
