Screen Rant » district 9

Matt Damon In Talks For Neill Blomkamp’s ‘Elysium’

Kofi Outlaw — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 19:31:49 +0000

Deadline is reporting that actor Matt Damon is in talks to join District 9 director Neill Blomkamp’s next feature, which is a sci-fi/allegory entitled Elysium.

If talks go well, Damon would be the second reported addition to the cast of Elysium: we reported earlier that District 9 star Sharlto Copely was already cast in the film.

As previously stated, there are no specific details about what the plot of Elysium would entail, except for the scant tidbits that Blomkamp has already dropped. We know that Elysium takes place 150 years from now, on a planet other than Earth, and will address social/political issues in much the same way that District 9 did. The title also refers to the Elysian Fields, which in Greek mythology exists as a sort of utopia for the souls ...

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‘District 9′ Duo Re-Teaming For ‘Elysium’

Sandy Schaefer — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 19:40:29 +0000

The Hollywood “bigger is better” mentality was taken down a peg or two when District 9 grossed more than seven times its $30 million budget and snagged a Best Picture nod last year. Now the director/actor team behind that pic are joining forces again for a new project titled Elysium.

Filmmaker Neil Blomkamp will receive backing from Media Rights Capital on Elysium, a thought-provoking sci-fi drama/action-driven flick that will star his District 9 leading man, Sharlto Copley.

In Greek mythology, Elysium (a.k.a. The Elysian Fields) refers to a portion of the underworld reserved for the blessed – a Utopia of sorts for those who have passed on. We reported on this film while it was still in the planning stages, and now we can confirm that Elysium will be set in the distant future ...

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NASA Announcement: In Which Alien Category Does It Belong?

Paul Young — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 00:06:15 +0000

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, don’t have access to the internet, or have been immersed in a 24 hour marathon session of World of Warcraft, then you should be fully aware of the NASA announcement stating that they discovered a new (alien) life form living in a lake bed in California. Well not really “alien” but that’s what some are calling it – since it’s so completely different than any existing life form.

Here is the official quote from NASA Research Fellow Felisa Wolfe-Simon if you haven’t had the chance to read it yet:

“We know that some microbes can breathe arsenic, but what we’ve found is a microbe doing something new — building parts of itself out of arsenic. If something here on Earth can do something so unexpected, what ...

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2010 Scream Award Nominations

Ross Miller — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 01:18:13 +0000

We’re now into awards season once more (time flies, doesn’t it?), with the Emmys having come and gone already. Now we have the annual 2010 Scream Awards which celebrates the more fan-friendly type of movies and TV shows that the Oscars and the Emmys might not honor. And the great thing is YOU get to vote for the winners!

Last year they honored such fan-favorites as Star Trek, Watchmen and Fringe with nominations, which I’m sure pleased many of you. Even if they still nominate some questionable movies, there’s no doubting that for the most part, the Scream Awards are a lot more in line with the majority of the movie going audience who pay to see movies purely to be entertained.

Even if the Scream Awards tend to honor the “right” movies however, this ...

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Sharlto Copley Talks District 9 Sequel

Ross Miller — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 15:25:57 +0000

Ever since Neill Blomkamp’s debut feature film District 9 came out and was not only a critical hit but a financial one too, people have been wondering when a sequel was going to come along. It’s not really a necessary sequel in my opinion, but I don’t think anyone who enjoyed the first one would say no to more of that quality sci-fi storytelling.

Only a couple of days ago we learned that District 9 2 (will it be called District 10?) could start shooting as early as this Fall, with Blomkamp and Peter Jackson coming back to direct and produce respectively.

There were a few things that made that seem unlikely, including Sony denying the report (studios always deny until they themselves break the news) and the fact that Blomkamp is set ...

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When is The District 9 Sequel Coming?

Rob Keyes — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 02:28:44 +0000

With the help of Peter Jackson and his Weta Workshop, African director Neill Blomkmap came out of nowhere and brought with him a unique and original, Oscar-nominated feature film. That movie of course was District 9 and since its highly talked about release, its critical and financial success, folks have been clamoring for details on when we’ll see District 9 2 (District 10?).

According MarketSaw, it could be as early as this Fall when production begins on District 10. And that’s not all; The report continues to detail that both Neill Blomkamp and Peter Jackson will be back to direct and produce, respectively.

Neill Blomkamp was the man chosen by Peter Jackson to helm the big budget adaptation of the popular Halo video game franchise and after that was scrapped, ...

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SR Pick: Honest Oscars Movie Posters

Ross Miller — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 16:28:54 +0000

The Oscars were just last night and it was a solid enough show with many improvements from previous years. One of the big changes was the expansion of the Best Picture category from 5 nominees to 10, which at first I didn’t like although it actually worked well in the end.

The posters for the 10 Best Picture Nominees do what every movie poster does – sell the movie. But what if they were a bit more honest in their advertising?

Today for our SR pick we’ve turned the snark level up to 11 (on a 10-point scale) and selected a few of the funniest posters from a collection the guys over at College Humor created, which are dedicated to being entirely brutal and honest about what those Best Picture Nominees are really about.

Check out ...

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SR Live Coverage: The 82nd Annual Academy Awards

Anthony Ocasio — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 00:02:13 +0000

Time to roll out the red carpet, put on your best outfit and practice sitting in an auditorium for four hours just to find out that someone else won as tonight is the night that filmmakers and movie goers have been waiting for all year. It’s time for the Oscars!

Whether it’s soldiers disarming bombs in The Hurt Locker, an all out seafood war with Prawns in District 9 or even a couple of $500 million blue cats in Avatar; audiences around the world have been treated to a veritable treasure trove of motion picture excellence. While many believe they already know who’s going to win, don’t be too surprised if you see a couple unexpected winners here and there… especially with Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin taking over as hosts.

So, join us back here at 8PM (EST) as ...

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The Oscars: 82nd Academy Award Nominations [Updated]

Rob Keyes — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 05:19:59 +0000

Tomorrow morning, Tuesday February 2nd, the official nominations for the 82nd Academy Awards will be announced live. The 2010 Oscar presentation will take place Sunday, March 7, 2010, hosted by none other than the comedic pair of Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin.

Last year’s Academy Awards saw the lovable Hugh Jackman as host and the big categories of Best Picture and Best Director went to Slumdog Millionaire and Danny Boyle. Sean Penn took home another Best Actor award and Kate Winslet won Best Actress for The Reader.

This year we have some big competition with the biggest box office film of all time in Avatar making a run for the awards and its creator James Cameron making a big returning splash into Hollywood after his last showing being the the previous biggest film of all ...

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2010 Golden Globe Award Winners

Ross Miller — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 14:05:00 +0000

I’m sure if you’re at all interested in which movies win what at each of the big award ceremonies, you caught the 67 Annual Golden Globe Awards last night on NBC. It was a fun show (as the Globes usually are compared to the Oscars), with some predictable/expected winners and some pretty major shocks.

Rickey Gervais was an absolute hoot as the host, jabbing in and out with often controversial but almost always funny gags which ranged from a Mel Gibson drinking joke (“I like a drink as much as the next man. Unless the next man is Mel Gibson.”) to one about Jennifer Aniston and Gerard Butler (“It’s Rachel from Friends and that bloke out of 300.”). Great stuff from a great host choice.

I won’t waste any time just now giving my thoughts on who I think should have won ...

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SR Live Coverage: The Golden Globe Awards

Anthony Ocasio — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 22:03:03 +0000

With the award season in full swing, we at Screen Rant figured that maybe we should be covering these prestigious events because who knows, Mariah Carey could get up and say something crazy at one of these things OR Mariah Carey could get up and say something crazy at two of these things.

In case of such events, the general consensus is that we need someone around to provide hilarious, informative and cute/endearing commentary as well as someone that you, the reader, can yell at when you don’t agree with something we say.

So, join us back here at 8PM (EST) and we’ll kick things off as the always wonderful Ricky Gervais hosts the 2010 Golden Globe Awards.

2010 Golden Globe Awards

In case you’re wondering who’s ...

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Oscars Visual Effects Shortlist Announced

Ross Miller — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 17:13:58 +0000

With the amount of big blockbusters there were this year – films full of explosions, magic spells and other worlds meticulously rendered onscreen – I’ve been looking forward to seeing which of those films will get recognition at the Oscars. And, in the only category you’re likely to see many of the summer ’09 films in is undoubtedly the Best Visual Effects category, which in the past few years has included Transformers, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest and Superman Returns.

The Academy of Motion Picture Art And Sciences has today announced the shortlist for Best Achievement in Visual Effects. The list has seven films on it, which will then be whittled down to three and those will be announced along with the rest of the nominees on February 2nd. Here are the seven films:

Avatar
District 9
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood ...

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District 9 Director Talks Sequel, Prequel & Video Game

Ross Miller — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 14:53:08 +0000

District 9 director Neill Blomkamp may have turned his attention to a new sci-fi project that he spoke about recently, but that doesn’t stop him from keeping the District in mind. LA Times Hero Complex recently did a lengthy interview with the director which they split into three parts, the third part being where the info on a possible District 9 sequel or prequel – as well as a video game – can be found. Read on below for what he had to say.

We’ve heard word from Blomkamp before about a followup to District 9 when he stated that he’d love to got back to the world he created, and that if he did he’d probably be reunited with star Sharlto Copley. Fellow Screen Rant writer Rob Keyes said it before, but I think a great way ...

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Hollywood’s 10 Biggest Social Media Success Stories of 2009

Kofi Outlaw — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 04:00:00 +0000

The following post was contributed by guest writer by Jeffrey Appelbaum. Jeff is a managing director at Buzzpoint, a social media firm in Los Angeles that specializes in creative online strategies for entertainment and technology companies.

2009 was a record year for Hollywood at the box office. According to the Nielson Co., total box-office receipts from the U.S. and Canada tallied more than $10.6 billion, which is approximately an 8 percent increase over 2008’s record of $9.791 billion. Not too shabby for a down economy.

The year’s slate included not only the usual surplus of sequels and adaptations (Transformers, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, The Twilight Saga: New Moon, etc.), but some Cinderella stories that defied all financial expectations (The Hangover, Paranormal Activity). However, while 2009 will certainly be remembered as lucrative year at the box office, it’s ...

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Update From ‘District 9′ Director Neill Blomkamp

Kofi Outlaw — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 17:08:37 +0000

If you saw District 9 this summer and liked it, you may be wondering what’s next from South African director Neil Blomkamp.

Back in October, we learned that Blomkamp has another sci-fi film on the way – which will be funded by Media Rights Capital, a smaller studio that will allow Blomkamp the creative freedom he covets. (Don’t worry guys, a District 9 sequel is also on the slate.)

Blomkamp recently spoke to the guys over at Collider and had updates about his next sci-fi project, why he loves the genre and why he’s cool working on a smaller scale in terms of budget. Check out some quotes:

“I’ve been offered films – a lot of films, in fact – with seriously high budgets, and I’ve turned them all down…Once the budgets get bigger, you can’t do ...

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The Top 10 Movie Moments of 2009

Kofi Outlaw — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 20:57:49 +0000

Every site you go to these days has a list of their top 10 best movies of the year. But how many time can you look at slight variations of the same lists you only semi-agree with?

Besides, ranking entire movies is a big job. After much debate on the subject, we here at Screen Rant have decided that, in the end, a year in movies is perhaps best defined by specific movie moments that are now and forever burned into our collective memory.

So, without further ado, here are our picks for those 2009 movie moments which audiences collectively remember as being unforgettably awesome, hilarious, moving, inspiring or are otherwise just plain enjoyable…

(By the way, there will be some spoilers in the items below since all the movies in this ...

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Full District 9 DVD & Blu-ray Info

Ross Miller — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 18:10:04 +0000

This past summer was a mixed bag to say the least, with some bigger movies disappointing many people (Terminator Salvation, Wolverine and Transformers 2 spring to mind on that front). However, it wasn’t all bad, as some genuine quality films snuck through (Up, The Hangover, Star Trek).

One of those quality movies was the relatively low-budget sci-fi flick, District 9, which was the directorial debut of commercial and short-film director, Neill Blomkamp. It was a breath of fresh air not just in and around the time of year when a string of letdowns were playing in every theater, but in the sci-fi genre in general. It’s on the list of the year’s best films, as far as I’m concerned.

Anyway, if you enjoyed District 9 as much as I did, you’ll probably be interested in ...

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2009 A ‘Milestone Year’ For Movie Profits

Kofi Outlaw — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 18:16:45 +0000

I groaned out loud back in August when I found out about the record-breaking summer 2009 box office profits. Now we’re hearing new projections stating that when New Year’s Eve rolls over into New Year’s Day, the movie industry will have crossed a box office milestone, with profits predicted to exceed the $10 billion mark.

I’m sure we’d all be happy that our favorite medium was thriving in the midst of sharp economic downturn – that is, if so many movies hadn’t turned out to be crap this year. Now, the only thing I’m wondering (and you should too) is: “What lesson will Hollywood take from this?”

Variety is the publication cracking open the profit prediction. If you go back and read our Summer 2009 box office analysis, ...

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Neill Blomkamp’s Next Sci-Fi Film Officially On The Way

Ross Miller — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 16:59:14 +0000

One of the better films of the 2009 summer season was District 9, the directorial debut of commercial/short-film director, Neill Blomkamp. Boasting an impressive set of special effects for a film with such a low budget (around $30 million), it proved all those nay-sayers wrong who thought giving Blomkamp the chance to direct such an ambitious film was a bad idea considering he’d never done a feature film before.

Those of you who saw District 9 might remember that a sequel is a possibility (although IMO not essential), and some people actually thought that might be his next project. But today we learn that isn’t the case as BFDealMemo is reporting (thanks to /Film for picking up on it) that Media Rights Capital has committed financially to Blomkamp’s next film.

MRC committed to ...

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Gavin Hood Talks Wolverine 2 & District 9

Rob Keyes — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 11:30:14 +0000

Last week we reported on an interview with Hugh Jackman where he joked about how he always says he’s not doing another X-Men film until he reads the script. He continued to jokingly say that he’d do eleven more movies as Wolverine and that was it.

The next appearance of Hugh’s buffed up mutant will likely come with a sequel to X-Men Origins: Wolverine which will see the Marvel poster boy head to Japan to explore the stories of one of the most classic Wolverine tales from the comics. One question surrounding this movie is whether or not director Gavin Hood would be asked to return by Fox Studios to helm the follow-up.

In an interview with Rotten Tomatoes, Hood touches on this subject and that of District 9, the sleeper hit of the ...

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