District 9 Sequel May No Longer Be Too Politically Hot To Proceed
In 2009, Neill Blomkamp's gritty and groundbreaking "District 9" had a completely different take on aliens than virtually any other major genre work before it. An unflinching sci-fi take on South Africa's own apartheid history, the movie's Prawn aliens are stranded on Earth, and sent to live in the titular slum outside Johannesburg while human corporations reverse-engineer their tech for great profit.
Per Box Office Mojo, "District 9" was a wild success, grossing over $210 million against a $30 million budget and opening all kinds of doors to director Blomkamp and star Sharlto Copley. Since the rich, grim world of the movie seemed like it had potential for many untold stories, it's actually a bit of a surprise that the hugely lucrative movie hasn't received a sequel yet.
As Copley told BroBible on August 11 (via YouTube), one of the hurdles the sequel's been facing is that Blomkamp has felt the sociopolitical situation of our day and age isn't necessarily conductive to the movie's heavy-hitting themes. Still, that doesn't mean the makers of "District 9" wouldn't like to return to the movie's universe. Blomkamp himself has insisted that a sequel is closer than you think, and new information indicates that the political factor might not be an issue any more, either.
Sharlto Copley says the sequel may be on the cards soon
"District 10," the purported name of the upcoming sequel, may have been on the table for a long time, but as Sharlto Copley told ComicBook.com, both he and Blomkamp are still interested. What's more, the actor hoped that the director might actually focus on "District 10" after completing his next project.
"We do," Copley said regarding whether he and Blomkamp still discuss the sequel. "I mean, we came so close to doing it. So hopefully, after his next movie, maybe we'll do it then."
The actor's comments certainly make it seem that whatever real-life political stuff was standing in front of "District 10" has now been taken care of, either because the real-world situation has changed or because Blomkamp has altered his plans for the movie. In all fairness, this isn't the first time the people behind "District 9" speak of the sequel, and frankly, it's unlikely to be the last one, either. Still, the fact that Blomkamp and Copley are still biding their time means that there's hope for "District 10."