In the latest trailer for 20^th Century Fox’s new sci-fi film based on the manga series by Yukito Kishiro, Alita: Battle Angel, audiences are transported to a decimated world where cyborgs are your average neighbor. The trailer showcases a live action world that also hits audiences with seamless CGI effects from Weta Digital, the same visual effects studio that worked on James Cameron’s Avatar. Jon Landau accompanies Cameron as a producer, and they promise to deliver a great adaptation of the girl-discovering-herself story.

Apparently, existing in a dystopian world under the thumb of a floating city makes life difficult. In order to survive, many inhabitants have upgraded their body parts to cybernetics. Christoph Waltz portrays a cyber-doctor looking for spare parts to assist his cyborg patients in the scrap yard. He happens upon the head and chest of an old cyborg, only to discover she is still ‘alive.’ Taking her home to restore the body, he names her Alita after learning she has total memory loss and no recollection of her past. Thus, the audience is introduced to a unique life-form that has capabilities lost for 300 years, and these abilities are not welcomed back. Fighting a plethora of super-cyborgs with upgrades meant to kill, Alita has to stay alive long enough to remember who she is.

In addition to Waltz, Rosa Salazar stars as main character Alita, and many other Hollywood stars fill out the wide variety of characters within the narrative. As noted by Variety, the cast also includes Jackie Earle Haley, Ed Skrein, Jennifer Connelly, and Mahershala Ali to name a few.

With a screenplay written by Laeta Kalogridis (Shutter Island) and Sin City director Robert Rodriguez at the helm, Alita: Battle Angel promises to be a certified CGI smash. Catch it in theaters December 21, and check out the new trailer below.