Let me explain the title of this post a little bit. Apparently the studio and director Neill Blomkamp have been talking about the possibility of doing a sequel to “District 9”. And flat out I think this is a TERRIBLE idea. For now anyway.
Here’s the background for those of you who may be new to The Movie Blog. I was VERY critical of the news a few years back that Blomkamp was tapped to direct the Halo movie. Long story short I found it ludicrous that a person who had never directed a film… nay… never had any job on set of a real movie in his life… should be handed a HUGE tentpole project like Halo for his first time at bat. I insisted that a guy like him should be allowed to cut his teeth on a smaller film (or films) first. I thought it would be bad for Halo, and bad for Blomkamp to just jump into a HIGHLY anticipated $200 million dollar budget film like Halo to start. Eventually, and thankfully, the project was scrapped.
Blomkamp then obviously went on to do exactly what I thought he should do… a smaller film first… and the result was the $30 million budgeted District 9. Not quite the “cinematic classic” some make it out to be, but without doubt one of the best flicks of the summer boasting some of the best visual effects I’ve personally seen in a long time.
So if I think the film was one of the best of the summer… why would I be so against the idea of Blomkamp returning for a District 9 sequel? Simple… I think it would be bad for Blomkamp.
Look at Christopher Nolan for a moment. Yes, he had already been around for a bit when he did “Batman Begins”, but he believed it was important for him to walk away from Batman (easily the biggest success of his career) for a short time to do another project. Now that he was a major player in Hollywood circles, he didn’t want to confine his identity to Batman alone. And so, despite public pressure, Nolan walked away from Batman and did “The Prestige”, then returned for “The Dark Knight” later.
Personally, I think Halo falling through was the best thing in the world that could have happened for Blomkamp. Now I think he needs to resist the temptation to just jump back into his first “success”. Maybe look to “District 10” in a few years AFTER doing some other projects first. Diversify himself before just getting identified as that District 9, 10, 11 guy.
Don’t get me wrong, i wouldn’t complain if I heard we’d be getting a “District 10” next summer, but I think Blomkamp would be wise to walk away from it at this point. Maybe for good… maybe for just a while… but walk away nonetheless. Just a thought.
I really hope the movie is not called “District 10” as others are saying. Talk about gimmicky.
i agree too….give it a new title and just let every one kniow its a sequel…movie fans will get it and be happy
How about:
Return of the Prawns
Attack of the Prawns
Killer Prawns from Outer Space
Scamper! It’s The Scampi!
Forest Gump 2: Bubba Gump Goes To Johannesburg
Gee John, you just can’t wait to see Blomkamp fail can you?
First you complain about him being given the opportunity to do Halo, because he should do a smaller film. He makes District 9 after Halo is canceled….
Then you write nothing but negative posts about District 9, despite it’s critical and financial success. The next obvious step is that the studios will want to give him a bigger budget to make an even bigger sequel, to see what he can really do, with a project he’s already succeeded with.
Now after proving he can make a great, successful sci-fi film after making ONE movie, you think he should not capitalize on his success, he should in fact try to make an entirely different film all together? That is the biggest load of nonsense I’ve ever heard.
Plenty of artists stick to one specific genre their entire careers if it’s what they’re good at. That doesn’t make them lesser quality at what they do. Plenty of directors make a name doing what they do best before they ‘diversify’. Name one brilliant director who has ever become ‘typecast’ because they didn’t diversify. I’ve never heard of that happening.
Obviously Blomkamp has a knack for special effects, and that lends itself to the sci-fi/ action genre. What would be the point in doing something like a romantic comedy that anyone with a camera could film? He should focus on doing what he does best, and stick to effects films.
If making a sequel to his first huge hit gets him more money and more recognition, then his next project could very well be a $200 million epic like Halo.
A sequel to District 9 would be a guaranteed success. He’s proven himself as a director, and he’d be working with a proven franchise for himself.
While I am curious about a sequel, part of me wants them to leave D9 as is.
Maybe a indie rom-com??? hmmm??? :)
D10 = 100 million in the bank. dont say no neill.
I think it would be smart for a new time director such as Blomkamp to get himself situated into a franchise quickly and then spread out to other movies afterward, Tim Burton did it
Burton directed two features and a few shorts before he did Batman.
I forgot he did Pee Wee’s Big Adventure and Bettle Juice. BTW, Blomkamp had directed short films before, specifically the one District 9 was based off of.
as for Neill Blomkamp not being able to make a halo movie, watch his shorts, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjenVaym_wE&feature=related Neill was more immersed in the Halo universe than probably any of us knew. Imagine what he couldve done with more money for fx and peter jackson behind him?
Would have been a disaster. Gimmicky little shorts without any real narrative don’t mean anything. You don’t just throw $200 million at a guy. Doing D9 first was the best thing on the world for him IMO.
I look at it this way: How much better was George Lucas when he had a constrained budget?
I think a small budget forces you to be creative and really make sure that each penny you spend is needed for the story you are telling, while high budgets cause some people to focus on the big budget effects and not as much on crafting a great story.
so says u….i think your completly wrong and your not giving this guy the benifit of the doubt.
i mean i wonder if he told u he was making a movie (then tells u plot of d9) for $35 mill….would u think it would make as much as the movie is going to make…i would assume u would laugh and eventually be wrong =)
but hell maybe im wrong i d k but i think im right
Btw, D9 was funded outside the studio system and I hope it stays that way with any subsequent sequels. And no idea if a sequel has been greenlit yet…
I AGREE…take a note from bay area rap artists (No i dont really like it but u cant deny what lots of them did) once u make your own shit u can make 10x the amount made with a major corporation…but not always…but sometimes.
Personally, I don’t think there should be sequel period. I loved the movie, and I think it’s best to leave it be, and have people draw up there own conclusions to what happened after the end.
does it say when the studio is looking to have district 10 (if thats what it will be called) begin production?
A sequal will run the risk of being like Transformers 2 if he can’t control the studio dunderheads. Which means he better find a pair of boobs to run around half the film or all the little boys will get bored after about half an hour of video game cut scenes.
I really did like alot of this movie. I do want to see where the story goes. The problem is alot of the original story already got lost in District 9 so we could sit through more expensive video game cinematics at the end. A sequal will most likely not be better than the original in this way.
So I guess I agree… he would be better off to do something else and build his rep even more before he does another District 9.
Blomkamp will return for D10 whether it’s in 3 years or next summer. There was no doubt that Jackson & Co wanted a franchise for this and given how much footage was left out in D9 along with the B.O success, I can’t see how Blomkamp would walk away from this. I agree for the time being he should go and make another film and grow a bit…
A lot of directors (and actors) don’t want to get stuck being identified as “the guy who directed…” or “the guy who played…”. It’s already happened to Sam Raimi and his Spider-Man films, and in Nolan’s case, I think it’s a very smart (and gutsy) move to take a break from Batman for a while.
Hopefully, Blomkamp does the same.
sam raimi is the spider man guy?
i thought he was the guy who got bruce campbell in the groove….hmmmm maybe im just feeling it different.
Only film buffs such as people who regularly visit this would even know about that. I doubt the average person even knows who directed the Evil Dead series. Ask the average person on the street if they know who Sam Raimi is and most likely they’re going to connect him to Spider-Man.
THEN I MUST CONCURE WE ARE FUCKING COOL!
WOOOT!
It has been proclaimed!
my problem with the post is it seems like it is more of a “what would i do” more of “hey let this guy be his self” i personally dont give a shit if there is another but like hazmat said the movie ended with a lot of questions in my head.
personally i think the guy should do what he wants….u live one life and living on maybes and what might of been kinda sux.
The Man is A Genius..!! nice stuff.
Currently Blomkamp is set to direct a horror film next.
http://www.aintitcool.com/node/42152
Niel Blomkampp talks about D10, a new sci fi movie. And he clearly says he wants to do sci-fi & horror flicks. I think he wants to be more of a commercial director which is fine in my book as long as he doesn’t turn into michael bay in the long run.
Ugh. I cringe at the very thought.
I was hoping it would be left alone so the end is up to viewer interpretation
You mean an open ending? Yeah, maybe. But the whole point is to make the viewer think about what happened. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t make a sequel that later affirms or otherwise denies peoples’ theories.
I read in an interview that Niel Blomkamp wants to do a sci-fi flick set on a different planet. That is his next project.
Pretty sure this is what is happening.
I agree and I think I would respect the guy a lot more of he takes that advice.
Everyone in Hollywood would have more respect if they would just always take Johns advice.
?_?
Im sorry lol
WHAT!?
District 9 BETTER get a sequel. I cannot stress enough how big of a cliffhanger this movie was. YES- I can probably guess the ending, but too many things where unsolved.
No. There must be a sequel.
John, I understand youre talking about Bekmambetov and not about District 9. For the guys sake, I 100% agree he should do Halo. But for District 9, he should fucking sequel it.
I want this sequel to get made, thats what I want and what would be the next logical step for District 9. I dont care about Bekmambetov’s career.
Maybe he can do Halo after District 10 (or whatever) or do District 10 after Halo, whatever, just do both….BUTH MOVIES MUST GET MADE.
ESPECIALLY Halo.
I still have to emphasize that this is the most sequel worthy movie ive ever seen.
Ive never seen a movie and wanted a sequel this badly. EVER.
This movie is the epitome of sequel worthy. End of story.
youre getting the director of “9” and that director of district 9 mixed up
Bekmambetov is the producer of 9, Shane Acker is the director.
Bekmambetov also directed Wanted
Gotta say I agree with James. I want Niel to do District 10 next.
I agree, this movie deserves a sequel. I don’t care how many films along Blomkamps’ career it is when it happens, but after seeing all the weary franchises out there spring from mediocre first installments, it would be a crime to let a story like District 9 end now.
Thank you for the correction guys xD
And yes, like I said, this movie NEEDS a sequel.
I dont care about this guy, whoever he is, ive never heard of him as a director, i dont care about him at all. I dont care if he succeeds. I want District 10 made now.
Halo too. I dont care in what order…but i cannot stress enough how much a D9 sequel is needed.
AARON
I mean, maybe he can do Halo next, no problem…but AT LEAST let the fans know hell eventually do District 10 just to let us breathe
He should let us know the sequels coming just to give us hype, to calm us down. I am way too nervous right now about this sequel not being made. If he wants to do Halo first- fine. I dont disagree. But at the very least tell us “District 10 is official, and ill work on it as soon as im done with halo”
Who the heck called District 9 a “cinematic classic”?
Seriously, though. I’ve been going over the review listings at Metacritic and RottenTomatoes, and maybe I’m missing something but I haven’t seen it. So far they all say that District 9 is a unique, fun, and inventive sci-fi/action flick. One guy said he hasn’t enjoyed action this much since Mad Max 2, but that aside I’m not seeing any of the excessive praise you’re talking about. Just saying.
agreed. like the film says – come back in three years.
Yep. Go do another film (preferrebly another sci-fi =p) then come back to the story when Christopher Johnson returns to Earth.
Sweet
I’d like to see him get away from Sci-Fi for a film or two and grow a bit.
John: yeh, I see what you mean. I really would like to see him stick with genre-based filmmaking (ie: sci-fi, horror, fantasy, action etc). There just aren’t enough talented and dedicated directors in that field.
Yeah that would be a great idea!
Sense the film was shot documentary style it would make sense to have it be “current” instead of looking into the future which would be impossible for a real documentary.
If he’s gonna do Halo( if it ever happens) he’s gonna have to go back to sci-fi
Besides the first 20-30 minutes of the film, it was hardly a documentary style. A point which I am not happy about at all. I thought that was the whole point of this thing.
i thought from the trailer it was like a cloverfelied thing or something like that
I agree. It annoyed me that the film couldn’t just pick a single camera style to go with instead of swithing without coherence.