District 9 writer and director Neill Blomkamp thinks that the film's highly anticipated sequel, District 10, will be as "stripped down and bare bones" as possible. While rumours had long been swirling around a follow-up to the Academy Award-nominated sci-fi hit, the new film wasn't officially confirmed until February. The script for District 10 is currently still in development and being written by Blomkamp, as well as District 9 co-writer Terri Tatchell and actor Sharlto Copley.

The original District 9 film proved a breakout hit for Blomkamp in 2009. The film is set in a fictional version of Johannesburg, South Africa, where aliens have arrived on Earth and are exiled to slums in an area known as District 9. When an alien father and son attempt an escape from the district back to their home planet, they encounter a sympathetic human named Wikus (Copley) who has become the victim of an extra-terrestrial mutation. Following the massive success of District 9, Blomkamp went on to direct Elysium (2013) and Chappie (2015), before writing and directing the horror film Demonic in 2021. Now, 12 years after the hugely successful first film, the South African-Canadian filmmaker is turning his sights to District 10.

Related: District 9's Wikus van de Merwe Is Sci-Fi's Most Underrated Antihero

Blomkamp told THR that he is aiming to keep the long-awaited sequel "as stripped-down and bare bones" as possibleThe director says he doesn't want to fall into the trap of other film sequels by heavily scaling-up the production of District 10. Blomkamp thinks the follow-up project will largely mirror the approach of the original film.

“I think the approach of the first film is correct; it’s just really a question of the script...If there’s slightly more stuff happening in the script, then you need slightly more money. But I think it would still be as stripped-down and bare bones as we could make it. That becomes more nimble and more creative, and personally, I like that.”

Sharlto Copley in TriStar Pictures' sci-fi thriller DISTRICT 9.

While the details of District 10's plot are still in development, Blomkamp has confirmed that the film will draw on a specific period of American history, a deviation from the completely fictional narrative created in District 9. This will certainly disappoint some viewers who were hopeful that the sequel may address the original film's vague ending, which left the fate of Earth and humanity up in the air. Instead, it is possible that District 10 may deal with an entirely new story while featuring some characters from District 9.

Regardless of whether District 10 serves as a direct sequel to District 9, the fact that Blomkamp intends to approach the film in the same way is certainly encouraging. The filmmaker has proven time and time again across multiple projects that a grisly mix of humans, extra-terrestrials and futuristic technology is his bread and butter. Whatever is in store for District 10, it is in the safest possible hands.

Next: District 10: Why Blomkamp's Plan Is Better Than A Direct District 9 Sequel

Source: THR