Very little has been seen or heard from the production of director Neil Blomkamp’s follow up to the now-classic DISTRICT 9, but today we have our first official look at the film, which toplines Matt Damon. ELYSIUM is expected to debut some footage at Comic Con this year, which should get the gears grinding for the pic, if not more so than they already are.
Grab the clippers:
I’m not a huge fan of Damon’s, but he has proven to be able to deliver on the action front (re: Jason Bourne) and the political subtext of the film will likely suit his sensibilities, as he’s always quick to remind us where he stands on that front. What political subtext, you ask?
Here’s the synopsis:
In the year 2159 two classes of people exist: the very wealthy who live on a pristine man-made space station called Elysium, and the rest, who live on an overpopulated, ruined Earth. Secretary Rhodes (Jodie Foster), a hard line government official, will stop at nothing to enforce anti-immigration laws and preserve the luxurious lifestyle of the citizens of Elysium. That doesn’t stop the people of Earth from trying to get in, by any means they can. When unlucky Max (Matt Damon) is backed into a corner, he agrees to take on a daunting mission that if successful will not only save his life, but could bring equality to these polarized worlds.
DISTRICT 9 was a phenomenal and surprising film, given that many didn’t expect it to be much more than a cheaply made sci-fi romp. It ended up being a massive success and brought a lot to the sci-fi table. Mostly, it was just brutally awesome. I think we’re all hoping for that same intensity for Elysium.
ELYSIUM stars Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, Sharlto Copley, William Fichtner, Alice Braga, Diego Luna, Wagner Moura, and opens on March 1, 2013.
Oh, Alice Braga, you minx, you…