Neill Blomkamp secretly created a supernatural horror movie in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. While the director is primarily known for his work in the sci-fi genre, he has expressed a distinct interest in developing movies in the horror genre. With his background in sci-fi, it's likely that this will work in his favor and allow him to develop a supernatural horror movie unlike any fans have seen before and, in turn, reinvent the sub-genre by defying all expectations.
Blomkamp made his directorial debut in 2009 with District 9 alongside producers Peter Jackson and Carolynne Cunningham. It gained critical acclaim and immediately put the budding director on the map in the sci-fi genre. He followed it up in 2013 with Elysium, starring Matt Damon and Jodie Foster. Since then, he released Chappie in 2015, but has been on a five year hiatus afterward. While he expressed interest in contributing to Ridley Scott's Alien franchise, that project has yet to come to fruition. If it had, it would've marked the director's first outright sci-fi horror movie.
When COVID-19 put most movie productions to a halt, others continued to push on despite the restrictions, but none were as tightly kept under wraps as Blomkamp's project. It was well-known that the next installment in the Children Of the Corn franchise continued the filming process during COVID-19, and pandemic-inspired movies such as Host discovered new ways to evoke fear through the use of Zoom. No one was aware of Blomkamp's undertaking until December 2020 and, at this point, its plot remains a major mystery. One thing is for certain, the director's sci-fi talents will inevitably assist him in creating one of the most unique supernatural movies in recent years.
Supernatural horror movies typically feature urban legends and folklore, ghosts, demons, monsters, and various other creatures. The codification of "supernatural" immediately gives a director limitless possibilities in regard to a plot. Even aliens are considered supernatural, which could be part of Blomkamp's upcoming movie, considering his unmade Alien project. While it may not be the Ridley Scott definition of an alien, it's entirely plausible that the filming location of British Columbia, Canada alludes to a UFO or alien-centered plot. Many horror movies involving extraterrestrials have utilized a setting in Pacific Northwestern states or the Midwest.
Currently, Blomkamp has another project on his list titled Inferno, which will deal with aliens and humans. Based on his current filmography as well as his future additions to it, the secret supernatural movie project will inevitably have elements similar to them. The sci-fi elements that the director employs on his movies are horrifying and posit the possibility of a dystopian world where humanity has lost a major battle or is in the midst of one. The seamlessness of tying together the unsettling nature of a dystopian society with technology, human behavior, and the end of the world elements could strengthen the supernatural sub-genre with underutilized elements that Blomkamp is more than familiar with. If he is going the route of a supernatural alien movie, it likely won't resemble Signs, Dark Skies, or Slither. His filmography is proof of that.
Blomkamp's supernatural horror movie probably won't be any traditional definition of the sub-genre. His secret project is far more likely to be a sci-fi rooted, supernatural horror feature that includes elements and themes familiar to the director's repertoire including dystopian society, commentary on humanity, and technology. Ultimately, all of this will benefit the movie as a whole. Neill Blomkamp's upcoming supernatural horror movie has the potential to combine everything that made sci-fi horror movies like Alien and The Thing so great with the addition of social commentary and technology reminiscent of Black Mirror that could alter the sub-genre entirely with a storyline that's never been seen before.