Neill Blomkamp's 'Chappie' Fights for Survival in New Trailer

"Short Circuit on steroids", is what some guy behind me said after this trailer for Chappie aired last night before Taken 3. While that guy was wrong about everything else he said throughout the pre-show (no, Jason Stantham is not in Fast 7 but Jason Statham is!) he was right about this. Neill Blomkamp's Chappie does look a lot like a pumped-up Short Circuit with a little bit of Robocop and District 9 thrown in. Can a combination like that possibly work?

Chappie is a sci-fi film that seems to be walking the same delicate balance of earnest social commentary and high action that Blomkamp has shown in District 9 and Elysium. Starring Hugh Jackman, Dev Patel, and Sigourney Weaver, it follows a police robot named Chappie who gains awareness and begins to question his purpose in life. Basically he must learn about the world in the same way a child does, but also must fight against the company that created him.

Chappie hits theaters on March 27th.


Chappie Official Trailer #2 (2015) - Hugh Jackman, Sigourney Weaver Robot Movie HD. by TrailerNow

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First Trailer for 'Chappie' from 'District 9' Director Neill Blomkamp

The sci-fi genre has treated Neill Blomkamp well from the very beginning, which is why he doesn't seem ready to leave it any time soon. His first film, District 9, earned four Academy Award nominations including one for Best Picture, marking the director as a fan favorite right off the bat. He didn't find quite the same measure of success with the grim and serious Elysium, but now Blomkamp is headed for something much weirder with his third feature, Chappie.

The first trailer and poster for the sci-fi comedy has been released, and it's an incredibly fascinating, offbeat world Blomkamp is taking us into. Sharlto Copley voices an intelligent robot who is kidnapped by a pair of gangsters played by South African rap group Die Antwoord, and is forced to do their bidding. Blomkamp is relating Chappie's experience to that of a fledgling child so I guess this is Boyhood for robots?

Also starring Sigourney Weaver, Hugh Jackman, Jose Pablo Cantillo, and Dev Patel, Chappie opens March 6th 2015.


CHAPPIE Trailer #1 (2015) Hugh Jackman Sci-Fi Comedy [HD] by MovieTrailerz

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Hugh Jackman Cast in Neill Blomkamp's 'Chappie'

Here's the irony of Neill Blomkamp's Elyisum: even with a couple of high-wattage stars like Matt Damon and Jodie Foster, it failed to best District 9 domestically at the box office. Instead, most of its damage was done overseas, whereas District 9 was the opposite, and it featured no recognizable American faces. Blomkamp's third sci-fi film, Chappie, has Sharlto Copley in the title role, along with Dev Patel and Die Antwood's Ninja and Yolandi Visser supporting, but now you can add one major name with Hugh Jackman joining the cast.

Based on Blomkamp's 2004 short film, Tetra Vaal, the film centers on an intelligent police robot stolen by a couple of gangsters who plan to use him for criminal purposes. Jackman revealed the news of his role to Screen Daily without giving any insight into his character...

Jackman: "But I am doing a role in Neill's new film, called 'Chappie,' which we shoot in Johannesburg. I'm there for a couple of weeks at the beginning of next year."

Bleeding Cool say they have the inside scoop on Jackman's role, though, saying he plays "a CEO who ends up on the wrong side of the gangsters." 

The gangsters will be played by Yolanda and Ninja Visser, with Copley voicing Chappie and Dev Patel's role not really certain yet. Even if Jackman's role turns out to be smallish, he'll go a long way in getting Blomkamp some attention. Look for the film to surface on March 27th 2015.  
 

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First Clip and New Posters for Neill Blomkamp's 'Elysium'

Many are looking at The Wolverine as the last of the summer blockbusters, but is there perhaps room for one more? Neill Blomkamp's Elysium may not have the comic book pedigree or the mammoth budget to match, but it's big, bold, ambitious, gorgeously constructed, and charged with sociopolitical commentary. It's that last bit that may keep some moviegoers at bay, but for those looking for a film that is smart and thrilling, Elysium looks like the best way to go.

The first clip has been released, and it's a pretty good example why this film has a chance to be something special. In it we see Matt Damon as ex-con Max De Costa, expressing frustration as he's forced to negotiate with a robot about the extension of his parole. In less than a minute we see not only the complexities of Damon's character, who clearly isn't a saint but a man trying to be better, and some of the more ridiculous aspects of a heavily bureaucratic society.

Along with the clip there are also a handful of posters. The most dull of these is an official one that is so generic it could have been used for The Bourne Identity or Green Zone and nobody would bat an eye. The far superior Mondo poster features some slick hand drawn art, and give us a look at the characters played by Jodie Foster and Sharlto Copley.  Elysium hits theaters on August 9th.

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First poster for Neill Blomkamp's 'Elysium'

Finally, the curtain is beginning to be lifted on Neill Blomkamp's next high-concept science fiction effort, Elysium. After months where nothing on the film was seen, a pair of images were recently released, and Sony debuted the trailer and ten minutes of footage to a select group of Los Angeles journalists. Based on the descriptions, it sounds like finished versions of the same footage shown at Comic-Con last year. A trailer will hit the web later, but for now we'll have to settle for the first poster.

Set in the year 2154, economic inequality has reached staggering new levels, with the wealthy living in the skies aboard a pristine, disease-free space station known as Elysium. Back on Earth, the poor struggle to survive on an overpopulated planet drained of its resources. Matt Damon plays Max De Costa, a regular guy who needs to get up to Elysium to save his own life, while Jodie Foster is Secretary Rhodes, who will stop at nothing to maintain the status quo.

Also starring Sharlto Copley, Alice Braga, and Wagner Moura, Elysium opens on August 9th.

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Sony bumps 'Elysium' to August 2013; 'Robocop' slips to 2014

Hmmm...should we be worried? In the case of Neill Blomkamp's Elysium, his long awaited follow-up to District 9, we've seen and heard pretty much nothing since the incredible footage was revealed at this summer's San Diego Comic-Con. As impressive as it was, it clearly had a long way to go before completion as many of the biggest effects were unfinished. With reshoots still taking place, and a release date only five months away, Sony was forced to make a decision, and they've decided to bump it to August 9th 2013.

That release date sound familiar? It should, because it's the spot that up until now had been held for Jose Padilha's Robocop remake. Sony has decided to shift that film all the way to February 7th 2014, where it can race against Need for Speed, which just added Aaron Paul(Breaking Bad) as its star.

Neither of these are reason for concern, if you ask me. Elysium is a major sci-fi film that will only benefit from the expanded window. Not only can Blomkamp lock down the effects and really nail the feel he's aiming for, but Sony can now give it the proper marketing push to ensure success. Despite the cast which includes Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, and Sharlto Copley, we're still talking about an expensive project with no name recognition. Robocop probably would have had a tough time standing out in the midst of the summer blockbuster pack. Sony clearly has long-term goals in mind, and moving it to February where we've seen other genre films become big hits lately, is probably a wise move. [BoxOfficeMojo]

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Sure Shots: Elysium; Sarah Palin/Julianne Moore; The Hand Job

* A couple of quick notes about Neill Blomkamp's follow-up to District 9, the sci-fi flick Elysium. LatinoReview broke the news that Wagner Moura(Elite Squad 2) has signed on as a villain with a "crazy sense of humor". He'll be joining Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, and Sharlto Copley. Sony has also announced a March 8th 2013 release date.

* Ever since it was announced that Jay Roach would be directing Game Change, based on the controversial book about the 2008 Presidential campaign of John McCain, I've been wondering who would play his running mate turned professional victim, Sarah Palin. I guess it was too much to hope for Tina Fey, but I'll take Julianne Moore please! EW reports that the Boogie Nights super-actress(she's always awesome, I don't care what anyone says) will play the Vice Presidential nominee. I can't wait to see what approach she takes, since we've seen so many impersonations of her already. 

* Aubrey Plaza is going to be a star. Count on it. The hilarious comedienne was the best part of Judd Apatow's Funny People, and she had a few spot on moments in Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. Her first true starring vehicle is The Hand Job, which sees her playing a studious high school grad trying to get some sexual experience before college. The film was written by Bill Hader's wife, Maggie Carey, who also plans to direct. Hader just dropped some additional casting to The Playlist: Alia Shawkat(Amreeka), Donald Glover(Mystery Team), Andy Samberg(Hot Rod), Mae Whitman(Scott Pilgrim), and Connie Britton(Friday Night Lights) are all aboard. Count me in!

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Sure Shots: Neill Blomkamp's 'Elysium'; Alfred Hitchcock; Keira Knightley

* It didn't take long for Neill Blomkamp to secure distribution for Elysium, his sci-fi follow up to District 9. Media Rights Capital and Sony Pictures have joined forces to distribute the film globally. Blomkamp has reportedly signed a long term deal with MRC, with his next film already being planned. All we know about it is the title, 'Chappie', and that Blomkamp scripted it himself. Thanks to Deadline for that one.

* If you've yet to see Anvil!: The Story of Anvil, go rent it now! The director, Sacha Gervasi, is next in line to attempt an adaptation of Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho, based on Stephen Rebello's book. We'll see if this actually gets off the ground.

* Your movie can't go from Colin Farrell to Robert Pattinson without a few major ripple effects. Such is the case with David Cronenberg's Cosmopolis, which had Marion Cotillard attached to star opposite Farrell. But now that he's gone, there needs to be someone more Pattinson's age for him to potentially make out with. So Cotillard appears to be gone, according to the production company's cast list, and Keira Knightley is in. She's been working with Cronenberg on his next film, A Dangerous Method, which should see release later this year.

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