The future ofDistrict 10, eagerly awaited by fans ofNeill Blomkamp’s inaugural film,District 9, is shrouded in uncertainty as the director recently provided an ambiguous update on its development. Once keen on the endeavor, Blomkamp now acknowledges his uncertainty regarding his desire to create the sequel.
District 9, based in Johannesburg, South Africa, features an alien spaceship hovering ominously over the city, its residents confined to an internment camp. The narrative follows a government bureaucrat forced to team up with an alien looking to escape to his home planet after exposure to alien fuel mutates him. Sharlto Copley was the leading actor, and there has been constant discussion about a sequel since the film’s premiere, but the anticipation might be prolonged.
Blomkamp was questioned during an interview withThe Hollywood Reporter, of whetherDistrict 10’s production is contingent on the success of this latest release,Gran Turismo. Besides verifying a tie with Sony, Blomkamp also expressed his reservations about his current desire to create the sequel. He stated,
“Yeah, they would be tied to it. I don’t know if it’s getting made or not. I don’t know if I even want to make that right now, but at some point down the line, it’ll probably get made.”
Blomkamp already expressed his thoughts on making a sequel forDistrict 9even before the original film premiered on cinemas. He wanted to create a follow-up to establish and build a more elaborate narrative. Hopes were raised in February 2021 when Blomkamp revealed that he had started scriptingDistrict 10with Copley and original co-writer and spouse, Terri Tatchell.
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A Troubled Future: District 10 Hanging in the Balance Despite Initial Progress
In August 2022, after a prolonged silence, Copley confirmed ongoing discussions with Sony about the sequel and the completion of multiple drafts. However, he indicated that the project might not advance until after Blomkamp’s commitment toGran Turismo. Despite this seemingly positive progress, Blomkamp’s recent comments suggest that the sequel’s development may have hit a snag or that venturing outside the sci-fi genre has motivated him to explore different avenues.
If the production ofDistrict 10is indeed dependent on the success ofGran Turismo, it faces a challenging future as the video game adaptation has received mixed reviews from critics. Furthermore, Blomkamp has a history of unrealized projects, including the canceledAlien 5, featuring Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley and Michael Biehn’s Hicks, and his departure from aRoboCoplegacy sequel. Fans can only hope that the long-awaitedDistrict 9sequel can break this pattern in his career.
The future ofDistrict 10remains uncertain despite initial progress and the completion of multiple script drafts. Blomkamp’s wavering interest and the potential dependency onGran Turismo’s success present significant hurdles for the sequel. While Blomkamp’s recent foray outside the sci-fi genre may have influenced his current perspective, fans continue to hope that theDistrict 9sequel will eventually come to fruition, breaking the trend of unrealized projects in the director’s career.
