According to director Neil Blomkamp, a sequel to the 2009 sci-fi thriller “District 9” is happening. Blomkamp, who wrote and directed the acclaimed D9, announced on Twitter that he and co-writer Terri Tatchell are currently working on the “District 10” script, which will be a direct follow-up to D9.
This comes nearly 12 years after “District 9” debuted in 2009, although the film has certainly stood the test of time. Widely recognized as one of the best “found footage” films of all time, “District 9” is a gritty take on the classic alien-arrival story. After landing in Cape Verde, the aliens, who are mockingly called “prawns,” are placed in slums and treated as second class citizens. The strife between prawns and humans is depicted as less species versus species, but rather the more nuanced class versus class.
Unfortunately, the themes of “District 9” seem more present today than upon its release 12 years ago. Immigration laws and the refugee crisis remain hot-button topics for politicians, and the disparity between lower and upper classes grows by the day. It’ll be interesting to see how “District 10” tackles these issues, hopefully maintaining the same grace and poignancy as its predecessor.
But regardless of its social relevance, excitement should built around “District 10” strictly in terms of its filmmaking. “District 9” has some of the best narrative pacing of any sci-film film and Blomkamp’s direction is wonderfully refreshing. Sharlto Copley delivered one of the best performances of the year as the lead in “District 9,” so his return to “District 10” also adds to the film’s anticipation.
In regards to the time and date of “District 10″…who really knows? This isn’t the first time Blomkamp has teased fans with the sequel and its widely known the director is still working on a film shot during the pandemic.
Nevertheless, I’m pumped for whatever Blomkamp releases next. And even if “District 10” remains a Reddit pipe dream, I’m still content with “District 9” satiating my bureaucratic extraterrestrial needs.
