Neil Blomkamp is not a fan of remakes. He hates that they’re remaking Park Chan Wook’s incredible Oldboy, or the gorgeous Swedish vampire film Let The Right One In. His desire and insistance on working outside of Hollywood’s rules, and with budgets that allow him more creative control, is an important reason District 9 came out so well. Studios can simply interfere too much. The higher the price tag, the more interference. D9 was an original idea from a young director who knew how to milk his budget into something incredible.

In a three part interview with LA Times, Blomkamp spoke a little about his science fiction follow-up to last year’s success story. “I know what I’m doing now. MRC is another finance group and they’re putting together the cash for my next film based on a treatment I wrote. I had the idea in my head for about a year. I wrote it within a month of finishing District 9. So I wrote it in May and I sent it to them and they agreed to do it. So now I’m writing. The setting for the next film takes place 150 years from now. There are two cities that I’m choosing between. They would play as themselves. They are not in South Africa.” NY/LA perhaps?

When asked about a possible video game Blomkamp said, “D9 as a game would be fascinating. I think a virtual environment of the slums of Soweto is an appealing idea to me. The weapons are cool, too. I photographed the film in a way that isn’t that different than video-game perspective in some parts. So a game would be interesting to me. There’s nothing happening with it though.” Blomkamp dismissed the idea of a television show ouright, stating ” I wouldn’t really want to do. That would be…well, I just don’t want to do that.” He was for more interested in the idea of a sequel, but probably not in the manner most were hoping.

“A sequel might be interesting. I know what I’m doing next so it wouldn’t be right away. But the concept of aliens in Johannesburg is such an appealing idea to me and the issues of race and how they meet. All of the things that I had going on with it. I wouldn’t mind messing around with it again. I’m open to it if the story works and there’s a reason to do it. And Sharlito Copley’s character Wikus is so funny to me, I’m very interested in a sort of passive racist like that. If you go forward [with his story beyond D9] it’s more of a traditional film but if you go backward I’d be intrigued in that. I’m not so interested in aliens coming back and blowing things up but a prequel might be interesting.”

Whatever Blomkamp wants to do, I’m there. Not only was District 9 an amazing film, but it displayed one of the most unique stories and voices I’ve seen in years. I can’t wait to see what he does next.

-Brian

Source: http://www.slashfilm.com/2010/01/07/neill-blomkamp-considers-district-9-prequel-not-as-his-next-film/