A District 9 sequel, appropriately named District 10, is in the works, director Neill Blomkamp has confirmed.
According to Blomkamp, the script is being penned by himself, original co-writer Terri Tatchell, and actor Sharlto Copley, who played Wikus Van De Merwe in District 9.
In a tweet, Blomkamp said: "District 10 screenplay also being written by [Sharlto Copley] [Terri Tatchell] and I. Its coming..."
District 10 screenplay also being written by @sharlto @territatchell and I. Its coming...February 26, 2021
District 9 is a sci-fi film based on Blomkamp's short film named Alive in Joburg. It sees an alien spacecraft filled with sickly beings arrive over South Africa, who are then moved to the eponymous, fenced camp and branded "Prawns". When the aliens start getting relocated elsewhere, the human Wikus gets sprayed with a substance from their intergalactic technology – and begins to transform into an alien himself.
Plot details on District 10 are currently non-existent, but it's easy to guess that the sequel will pick up where its predecessor left off: with a completely transformed Wikus, and the aliens now living in District 10. It was also left open-ended what the alien Christopher Johnson would do next after escaping Earth and returning to his home planet.
In a Reddit AMA back in 2017 (via Variety), Blomkamp said of a potential sequel: "ok, so with district 10 the basic answer is yes. I want to go back to that world and tell rest of the story with Wikus and Christopher. the issue right now is that I have many other projects and ideas that I also want to work on and complete..... and most importantly, the exact right REASON to make district 10 needs be very clear. the first film was based so explicitly on real themes and topics from south Africa that effected me greatly growing up there, that we need to make sure the next film does not forget that."
The film was based on true events that took place in apartheid-era Cape Town and was nominated for several Oscars – including Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay. Considering Copley's involvement in penning the screenplay, we can expect him to return to his role for the sequel. Whether Wikus remains in his alien form or will revert back to his human state remains to be seen. We can also expect Blomkamp to helm the follow-up, too.
While there's no word on a District 10 release date yet, there's still plenty of films coming out this year, and you can check out our guide to 2021's upcoming movie release dates to find out what's on the way.
