Neill Blomkamp has proven himself a director worth seeing regardless of the project at hand. After DISTRICT 9, audiences and critics gave him a pass on the less than stellar ELYSIUM. Still, both films showed a consistent thematic and tonal approach to filmmaking, something that makes every movie he makes an instant must see. His next movie, CHAPPIE, seems so bizarre that it is hard to make heads or tails as to what it is about. But, with a cast that includes Sharlto Copley, Hugh Jackman, Sigourney Weaver and Dev Patel, CHAPPIE should be something unique.
For those unfamiliar with CHAPPIE, it is the story of a robot imbued with artificial intelligence who is stolen by two local gangsters who want to use him for their own nefarious purposes. Sharlto Copley is voicing the robot but, until now, we didn't know if this was going to be an android along the lines of BICENTENNIAL MAN or more humanoid like A.I.. Thanks to this new official teaser poster, we have our first glimpse.
Immediately, this poster made me think of the scene in SHORT CIRCUIT 2 when Johnny Five gets ready to fight Oscar and gives himself a mohawk. I still have no idea if CHAPPIE is going to be a dark comedy or a funny thriller, but I am even more intrigued having seen this poster.
CHAPPIE hits theaters on March 6, 2015.