District 9 director’s third film follows a mechanical hero
Director Neil Blomkamp blew the blockbuster world’s doors off with his Oscar-nominated debut District 9, but stumbled a bit with disappointing box-office for his follow-up Elysium. Now, the socially-conscious sci-fi maestro is looking to bounce back with the robot-starring action-drama Chappie.
Recalling earlier robot adventures like Short Circuit and Bicentennial Man, the film follows the exploits of Chappie – the first robot with actual artificial intelligence – and the influences that will form his understanding of the world as he “grows up” in a world that fears what the childlike machine could become. In the new trailer, he learns to mimic a He-Man cartoon, while posters ominously depict him having to choose between a set of children’s building-blocks… or a gun.
The human cast features Dev Patel as a scientist and Hugh Jackman as a (possible) villain who distrusts Chappie. Sigourney Weaver and Jose Pablo Cantillo also star. The film is due out in February 2015.
Source: Sony Pictures
