Neill Blomkamp Wants To Make An Elysium Sequel

Neill Blomkamp thinks he can do dystopia better.

The director of the 2013 sci-fi flick Elysium (along with 2009's District 9) recently told ScreenRant that he'd like another shot at a film set within the movie's dysfunctional world. And now that he's been free to create whatever he likes with his Oats Studios short films, Blomkamp said he has a better grasp on how to do it.

"Elysium is more something I feel like I could have done better," he said. "I think that if you were to take something like Elysium and play with it inside a setting like this [his Oats Studios shorts], you probably would hone it. You would end up, I think, with something well thought through and that has all of the thematic elements that I wanted."

Blomkamp said the main allure to him is the premise. Set in 2154, most of the Earth's population (including Matt Damon's Max Da Costa) live in poverty while the rich and powerful live on a space station called Elysium. "I still love the setup to Elysium," the director said. "The idea of the separation of class warfare presented with this space ring is incredibly appealing to me, and I would love to go back and make another movie in the world of Elysium because it's compelling. I just think I can do a better job in setting up what the themes are more clearly and what the characters' motivations are. I can do it better, I think."

It's not the first time Blomkamp has expressed regrets about the movie. Back in 2015, he made similar comments to Uproxx, saying, "I feel like I f***ed it up."

Would a studio pay money for an Elysium sequel? It's possible, since the original was a modest hit, grossing $286 million worldwide. However, that was only an $18 million profit, and reviews were mixed. But it wouldn't be surprising to see Blomkamp take another stab at it on his own with Oats Studios to ensure complete creative control. After all, he's already demonstrated that he can make a low-budget short look like a major motion picture with Rakka (starring Sigourney Weaver) and Zygote (starring Dakota Fanning).

While we wait to see if anything comes of the talk, find out why we never got to see a District 9 sequel.