Neill Blomkamp gives District 9 sequel update and teases story details

(Image credit: Sony Pictures Releasing)

District 9 director Neill Blomkamp has spoken more about the upcoming sequel to his hit sci-fi action movie, titled District 10.

"That script continues to be written. It's looking good. It took a decade to figure out, to come up with a reason why to make that film as opposed to just make a sequel," Blomkamp told IGN.

District 9, released in 2009, was Blomkamp's debut feature film. Set in an alternate version of Johannesburg, South Africa, the movie centers around a group of sickly aliens confined to an internment camp by the South African government. When the aliens are relocated to another camp, one of them crosses paths with Wikus Van De Merwe, one of the government officials leading the process, which sees Wikus start to turn into an alien himself. Produced by Peter Jackson, the movie stars Sharlto Copley, Jason Cope, and David James and it was nominated for four Academy Awards including Best Picture.

The director added: "There was a topic in American history that the second I realized that that fit into the world of District 9, it felt like an awesome way to do a sequel. So yeah, it continues to be developed and it's getting a lot closer."

Blomkamp revealed earlier this year that he had started working on the sequel's script with his District 9 co-writer Terri Tatchell and actor Sharlto Copley, who played Wikus. This was the first official confirmation that a sequel was in the works, despite Blomkamp talking about his hopes to make another District movie for several years.

The director's most recent project is a horror movie that he filmed during lockdown. Demonic, which Blomkamp has described as a crossover between sci-fi and horror, follows a young woman who's been estranged from her mother. When supernatural forces at the root of a decades old rift between the mother and daughter are revealed, terrifying demons are unleashed. Demonic is released in theaters on August 20.

I’m an Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering everything film and TV-related across the Total Film and SFX sections. I help bring you all the latest news and also the occasional feature too. I’ve previously written for publications like HuffPost and i-D after getting my NCTJ Diploma in Multimedia Journalism.