Alien invasion movies generally come with a big budget, elaborate special effects, and exaggerated plots involving intense action sequences, butDistrict 9took the popular alien invasion trope and went in an entirely unexpected direction with it. Many elements inDistrict 9have been used in other alien movies, including found footage, prejudice, secret government facilities, and even the storyline, in which a person who begins firmly on one side finds themselves sympathizing with the opposing side. However,District 9created something entirely new, which resulted inreviews ofDistrict 9being mostly positive.
Most ofDistrict 9takes place 20 years after the aliens arrive.They have been segregated, are known as “prawns,” and live in a slum: District 9. One of the aliens, Christopher Johnson, intends to escape with his son during a planned relocation led by Wikus van de Merwe, who has an accident and starts transforming into an alien himself, leavingDistrict 9’s endingopen for a sequel.ADistrict 9sequelhas been confirmed, but updates have been scarce although, likeDistrict 9, it is likely to be filmed with a low budget.
District 9 Was Made On A Budget Of $30 Million (& It Was Incredible)
Sharlto Copley’s character Wikus van de Merwe Is An Underrated Antihero
District 9was made with just $30 million, but made $210.8 million worldwide, and gained a 90% positive Rotten Tomatoes score.District 9’s low budget came, in many ways, through the failure of another movie. Producer Peter Jackson had intended to shoot an adaptation of theHalogame, but the project was never realized, soDistrict 9used many props intended for use inHalo. Instead of a large team of scriptwriters, the actors improvised most of their dialogue, andDistrict 9launched Sharlto Copley’s acting career after he excelled at the improvisation part of his role.
District 10: District 9’s Sequel Needs To Avoid Neill Blomkamp’s Movie Curse
District 10, a sequel to District 9, could be Neill Blomkamp’s career renaissance - if it can break the director’s streak of less-than-stellar movies.
Copley’s character, Wikus van de Merwe, beginsDistrict 9as a bureaucrat, who doesn’t want to get any closer to the aliens than he has to. Even when he isaccidentally infected with alien fluid and slowly begins turning into an alienhimself, his main motivation is his desire to go back to normal, rather than help the aliens through a newfound level of sympathy.District 9’s Wikus is not a hero; he is selfish and bigoted, yet Wikus, by helping Christopher and his son to escape District 9 and planet Earth, finally does something good.
What Made District 9 So Special Compared To Other Alien Invasion Movies
Director Neill Blomkamp Based District 9 On His Experiences During Apartheid
Manyalien invasion moviesare somewhat predictable, with humans defeating hostile aliens, or making friends with peaceable ones.District 9is based on the nastier aspects of human historyand is a disturbingly realistic depiction of what might happen to visiting aliens. Setting an alien invasion movie in Johannesburg, which experienced the apartheid system, and then watching aliens segregated in much the same way, keeps the movie tense and unpredictable.District 9’s alien design also challenges human nature, asking viewers to sympathize with the aliens without making them cute.
District 9 expands on a world already created by director Neill Blomkamp, for his six-minute short filmAlive in Joburg.
DirectorNeill Blomkamp wroteDistrict 9as an allegory for apartheid, having grown up during the regime and seeing the effects the laws had on the communities. Even the title,District 9, is based on Cape Town’s real-life District Six, which was destroyed. The movie’s theme and dialogue form a hard-hitting social commentary on their own, but, due to what some felt were offensive portrayals of Nigerian people and very similar names to real people,District 9was bannedin Nigeria. Information Minister Dora Akunyili demanded an apology from Sony Pictures, but this never happened.
Why The District 9 Sequel Still Hasn’t Happened 15 Years Later
What District 10 Could Be Like With Sharlto Copley As A Writer
ADistrict 9sequel was once confirmed, with Copley listed as one of the co-writers, but news has been scarce.Copley hinted at aDistrict 10timelinein 2022, saying filming could potentially begin “in two years,” and Blomkamp has confirmedDistrict 10would remain stripped down, likeDistrict 9. As Blomkamp’s recent movies have flopped,District 10’s failure to materialize might be due to a lack of interest from studios rather than the director. Still,Blomkamp’s failures makeDistrict 10more likely, as aDistrict 9sequel may be his best chance at a hit.
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As a writer forDistrict 10, Copley has shown his passion for the sequel, which could go anywhere with its storyline, including a full alien invasion. Though Blomkamp has said thatDistrict 10would be based on a specific period of American history,District 10could answer questionsthatDistrict 9left open, and,with Copley as a writer, there would likely be significant character development for Wikusafter living as an alien for three years. Blomkamp and Copley appear to have an idea and passion for the project, so aDistrict 9sequel has not been ruled out yet.
District 9
Cast
Neill Blomkamp’s District 9 combines sci-fi with social commentary in an alternate history in which humans and aliens eke out a tentative coexistence. When a large alien ship appears outside of Johannesburg, humans find it full of sickly and malnourished extraterrestrials they name “Prawns”. After housing the aliens in a slum named District 9, one human finds himself far closer to the Prawn community than he bargained for.
