James Cameron, here in the role of producer, is revving up the gears for his manga adaptation Alita: Battle Angel. Back in October it was announced that newcomer Jorge Lendeborg Jr. – who is all set to star in this year’s Spider-Man: Homecoming – had joined the cast, and now it’s been confirmed that Jennifer Connelly has also signed up for this grand adaptation.

Connelly, who is currently filming director Joseph Kosinki’s (Tron: Legacy) Granite Mountain alongside Miles Teller, Andie MacDowell, Jeff Bridges and Josh Brolin, is lined up to play a ruthless villain in Alita: Battle Angel which has already started filming in Texas with Maze Runner’s Rosa Salazar as the lead character.

Related: Robert Rodriguez set to direct Alita: Battle Angel.

Already confirmed on the cast list are Christoph Waltz, who played Bond Villain, Blofield in Spectre and was last seen in The Legend of Tarzan, Moonlight’s Mahershala Ali, and Deadpool’s Ed Skrein.

Jennifer Connelly cast in Alita: Battle Angel

Following in the footsteps of another manga adaptation, Ghost in the Shell which has been surrounded in controversy in casting Scarlett Johannson as its lead, James Cameron – who has partnered up with his Lightstorm Entertainment partner John Landau to produce Alita: Battle Angel – has seen the potential in transforming another of the popular graphic novels for the big screen. Cameron isn’t known for his understated flair in his filmmaking, as the list of a-list stars mount for this picture, he looks set to bring this project to life with epic precision.

Related: Jennifer Connelly Interview for Noah

Alita: Battle Angel is set in the 26th century, Alita tells of a female cyborg (Salazar) that is discovered in a scrap yard by a scientist. With no memory of her previous life except her deadly martial-arts training, the woman becomes a bounty hunter, tracking down criminals. The action-adventure story is meant to serve as a backdrop to themes of self-discovery and the search for love.