Despite giving us one of the best sci-fi films in recent memory with District 9, director Neill Blomkamp has been flying well under the radar lately. He’s currently working on a follow-up titled Elysium but admittedly, we’ve heard very little about it, aside from some casting news and what not.
Today though, thanks to Collider, we have the first plot summary which looks very, very interesting. The description is from a private screening invite, so it’s probably legitimate and if you’re interested, you can check it out below.
In the year 2159 two classes of people exist: the very wealthy who live on a pristine man-made space station called Elysium, and the rest, who live on an overpopulated, ruined Earth. Secretary Rhodes (Jodie Foster), a hard line government official, will stop at nothing to enforce anti-immigration laws and preserve the luxurious lifestyle of the citizens of Elysium. That doesn’t stop the people of Earth from trying to get in, by any means they can. When unlucky Max (Matt Damon) is backed into a corner, he agrees to take on a daunting mission that if successful will not only save his life, but could bring equality to these polarized worlds.
So there you have it, the first plot summary for the secretive yet highly anticipated Elysium. Like I said above, it’s definitely intriguing. I really like the mix of sociopolitical aspects and sci-fi elements that it’s going for.
In some ways, the themes here seem similar to some of the themes in District 9, which is a film that I loved. One thing is for sure, this won’t be some brainless, recycled sci-fi flick. I have no doubt that Blomkamp will be able to deliver something equally as stunning as District 9.
Set to open on March 1st, 2013, the film stars Matt Damon, Jodi Foster, Wagner Moura, Sharlto Copley, William Fichtner and Diego Luna.
