Neill Blomkamp was the result of a LOT of drama around here and as we figured, he has cut his teeth on a smaller budget film and is now moving up into bigger and better things now that he has proven himself.
In a recent interview we get a glimpse at what Neill is up to next.
LATimes Blog quotes Blomkamp talking about his next film:
Not much. I’m trying to keep it to myself at this point. But it is science fiction and it has many sociopolitical ideas that interest me. Those ideas are wrapped up inside something that is like a Hollywood action film.
I had heard that Blomkamp was going to stay away from sci-fi for his next film, but that could have just been speculation when he said a District 9 sequel wouldn’t be his followup now that he is the golden boy.
Speaking of which, when he was asked if he has been offered films since his success with D9, he is not timid about admitting how many.
I’ve been offered films – a lot of films, in fact – with seriously high budgets, and I’ve turned them all down. The reason is exactly what you said earlier: Once the budgets get bigger, you can’t do what you want as a director, unless you’re Peter Jackson or James Cameron. And even then, the pressure is still on the filmmaker. Even if the studio isn’t clamping down on you, all the pressure is on the director. And if you screw that up, the jeopardy situation is even worse. The way you don’t get yourself in that jeopardy situation is by making films that aren’t as risky financially. I just want to make films that have enough of a budget to pull off high-level imagery but also have a budget that is low enough that I can do what I want.
I find it interesting that the guy who was going to do Halo is now shying away from massive budget films. Maybe he was burned in the process of getting Halo shot down from under him and now he wants to focus on things that he has more control with.
With the recent feud with Sam Raimi and Sony I am inclined to agree with him.
I kind of liked how District 9 wasn’t all that “Hollywood” and how well the effects were. I will be keeping an eye out for what he does next to see if his plan works out for him.
Hope his next project is more thematically focused than District 9.
he just said that unless you’re pete jackson of cameron you get no say… Jackson was involved with the Halo process.
Unless he to was a huge Halo fan, like Jackson, you can’t blame him for not caring enough to try for it.
And even still, I think he means even if Jackson has your back your still going to have allot breathing down your neck the whole time with something like a Halo movie. I mean your gonna have Bungie, Microsoft, the fans, and what ever movie company you go with.
Even Jackson or Cameron can’t get themselves completely out of that. Gorge Lucas on the other hand…
hahah… Imagine if Lucas made Halo… Elites would look like gungans and they would have lightsabers instead of energy swords…
the opening scroll would read…
A long long time from now in a galaxy right next to ours…
Yes, because clearly EVERYTHING that Lucas has ever produced had Gungans and Lightsabers in it.
Go watch a movie or something.
Not really going to backtrack on others comments at the moment (so if what i say is already mentioned, I’m sorry)
The Halo thing was probably his main cause of reluctance, due to it’s being a fluke that he got District 9 done in the first place. He was about to go home and Jackson thought it was a waste and asked him for anything Blomkamp had to see if Jackson can work with him on, since he liked him so much. Besides, I think Blomkamp proved that you don’t always need a huge budget to make a great film because D9 looked better than most if not all big budget films that I saw in 2009; aside from Star Trek.
I’m kind of glad he’s not wanting to do something like Halo anymore. District 9 was just plane awesome and it didn’t need to be some huge effect spectacle, like Avatar, and actually turned out to be a much better movie.
Also to me, District 9 was better, story wise and all together creatively, then what all of a Halo movie could be. Sure a Halo movie would be much more grand and over the top, but the grittiness, scare factor of what the main character was going threw, and sheer creepiness of District 9, to me anyway, just blows Halo’s story line away.
I mean I do like Halo, but for me the first game and it’s story line was the best in the series. After that it just started going down hill, felt repetitive, especially Halo 3, and felt like Microsoft was just trying to produce a massive cash cow. Which they succeeded.
Don’t get me wrong, I will totally go see a Halo movie, if one ever does get made, because I do think Master Chief is a cool character, even though there isn’t a whole lot to him and other things about the series I enjoy. But I know it wont have a better story then District 9.
And good for him for sticking with wanting to just do movies his way, with out Hollywood breathing down his neck. Reminds me of the whole Spider-Man 4 thing that’s going on right now. If Hollywood would leave more directors alone, most notably the ones how have proven they can make a great flick, then we would get more great movies, like District 9.
TRYING TO SHY AWAY FROM THE SOFTMORE SLUMP.
DAMNIT!!!!
MAKE A D9 SEQUEL!!!
That movie ended 2/8 into the story. I swear to god no movie in the history of mankind NEEDS and DESERVES a sequel more then D9
What do you mean 2/8? Not everything needs a sequel. Especially something like this. People feel they need every last detail explained to them. It’s left to your imagination. Who cares if the alien came back or not. You want to watch some forced movie showing the three years between? Trust me, it wouldn’t work out.
I thought they were going to make a sequel, just not any time soon.
I also believe that “343 Industries” (The company that foresees everything Halo) should have complete control over the script. They seem to stay true to the canon of the halo universe, Hence the books.
I believe that the reason the video game movies suck is because they don’t give the creators any say. Also I think it has something to do with advertising, If they let people know that the studio who created the game has a LOT of control on the direction of the film than they would be less inclined to hate the shit out of it!!
But than again that’s my opinion lol
I’ve read the Halo books. Defenately, you need epic space battles. The same as Avatar effects or if possible even bigger effects. Cause when the aliens glass a planet from space you need WOW POWER, not fizzle. If they do this movie, they need to do it right, and if its not right, then they shouldn’t do it till it is right.
I will admit I like the way he thinks about the budget thing. Cause once you have a BIG Budget you have to much pressure to use it on things for a film that aren’t necessarily needed.
However as for the Halo thing, I’m glad he’s shying away from the project, cause with the mentality about budget he has now.
It just wouldn’t work.
A Halo movie has to have Avatar Graphics, Hell maybe even better graphics than that movie had. You can’t have a giant Space Opera without really breathtaking graphics. But than again that’s Visual Effects/Nerd guy in me talking.
Not to mention it has to have actually good actors in it! NO B-List, Sci-Fi Channel wash out!!! I’m gonna stop typing now…
Agree, Halo should be SUPER-EPIC!! in the same if not surpassed Avatar (lofty feat, as the extremely high bar Avatar just set in movie magic experience), and not many moviemaker today that have the strength to carry this project over, not even Peter Jackson (too bad). I also glad that Neill wisen up for not taking more big budget movies that being offered to him.
Based on interviews he’s done, I’d say that Blomkamp’s desire to stay away from the big-budget films are absolutely a direct result of the Halo debacle. Maybe we’re all better off?