Despite the worldwide pandemic grinding most film productions to a halt over the past year, director Neill Blomkamp has been plugging away at something secret while in lockdown. Backed by AGC studios, Blomkamp decided to take the opportunity to create a smaller, under-the-radar horror film in British Columbia. The currently untitled project is the first feature film Blomkamp will release since the 2015 showcase of Chappie.
According to reports the plot and concept of the film are all under very close guard. Almost nothing has been released about the film other than the fact that it exists and that it is something that Blomkamp has always wanted to make. With any luck, the production hopes to be complete by Spring of next year, which means it will hopefully be making some sort of official appearance in 2021. Whether that's an official trailer or a full blown release is up for debate. Reports say that Blomkamp scripted the film, while Julian Clarke, who worked on Blomkamp's last three films, is returning as an editor for this one.
While it is a horror film, there is supposedly a strong sci-fi theme running throughout, which puts it in line with Blomkamp's other film projects. Chappie, Elysium, and District 9 were all science fiction films with a strong underlying theme to them. Even before that Blomkamp was set to take on the Halo universe in a project that fell apart before being repurposed into District 9. Blomkamp has a very strong science fiction aesthetic that tends to go for gritty, dirty environments contrasted by highly advanced technology, so it seems likely this film will have some elements of that going in as well.
All of that is just speculation of course, as there is very little known about the project. The filming was done with mostly Canadian actors who followed on-set protocols to contain and prevent the spread of Coronavirus. It seems likely this film was made on a smaller budget than his previous work, which could lead to some interesting limitations to explore within the film. As of right now, Blomkamp has not commented on any of the news, and is presumably waiting for the right time to make an official announcement.
Hopefully those interested can get a look at Neill Blomkamp's new sci-fi horror film sooner rather than later.
Source: Deadline