Blomkamp talks District 9 sequel and failed Halo movie

Director Neill Blomkamp has discussed a potential sequel to his cult 2009 debut ‘District 9’, as well as his failed attempt to adapt videogame series ‘Halo’ to the big screen, just as he prepares to launch his next sci-fi adventure ‘Elysium’.

“I think a lot of it just comes down to if there’s just more to say,” said the director when asked about revisiting his own work. “I think the world of ‘District 9’ has a lot of very interesting race and oppression-based ideas that I would still like to explore in that world.

“I have zero problems… I’ll make my own stuff or whatever you want to call it, sequel-ize my own stuff.”

Sci-fi induced fist-pump.

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At a preview screening for epic looking Matt Damon starrer ‘Elysium’, Blomkamp was also asked whether he preferred to work on his own films, or adapt pre-existing popular material.

“I don’t think I actively sit down and say, ‘I’m going to do my own stuff and that I want everything to be original’,” said the South African born director, before revealing why the ‘Halo’ project he’d been previously attached to had failed.

“I actually still really like the universe and the world of ‘Halo’ and the mythology of ‘Halo’,” he said. “If I was given control, I would like to do that film, but that’s the problem. When something pre-exists, there’s this idea of ‘I have my interpretation of what that is’, but along with it comes like 150 other people involved with the film’s interpretation of the same intellectual property and then the entire film-going audience has their interpretation that you can live up to or fail in their eyes.

“And that part of it isn’t appealing to me. But the original pieces are appealing.”

So, ‘Halo’ didn’t happen, but a ‘District 9’ sequel (‘District 10’?) might. Either way, check out this brooding new poster for ‘Elysium’, showing Matt Damon wearing what we’re thinking is some kind of mechanical exoskeleton.

We’ll find out more, when the trailer arrives later today.

‘Elysium’ is released in the UK 20 September 2013.