UPDATE: The images have been removed at the request of the studio.
In this age of marketing campaigns which begin sometimes years before a film’s release date, it’s rare for an anticipated title to hold back on promo materials until the last minute. That’s precisely the case with Neill Blomkamp’s next sci-fi tale, Chappie. Set to land in theatres at the end of March 2015, we’ve only laid our eyes on a teaser poster which surfaced at this year’s Comic-Con and a single logline. It’s safe to say that in the light of today’s crop of screen grabs, a preview is on the way.
Chappie focuses on the life of a robot (voiced by Blomkamp regular, Sharlto Copley) who is kidnapped by gangsters during his birth. A gifted prodigy, Chappie finds himself a part of this new adoptive family who are a little bit dysfunctional.
Considering it’s only Blomkamp’s third feature, he’s making a habit of scoring well-known acting talent to bring his futuristic visions to life. Joining Copley are Hugh Jackman, Sigourney Weaver, Dev Patel and Jose Pablo Cantillo, all of whom except the latter are absent in these new pics. The seven images, which appear to originate from a trailer, offer a handful of new looks at the titular robot.
Chappie will be Blomkamp’s third foray into sci-fi social commentary, after his breakout 2009 hit District 9 and 2013’s disappointing Elysium. This time around, the focus will weigh heavily on the laughs instead of the serious discussion of societal issues we’ve come to expect from the director.
Check out the images for yourself in the gallery below, and let us know your thoughts on Blomkamp’s latest.
Chappie is slated for release on March 27th, 2015.
After being kidnapped by two criminals during birth, Chappie becomes the adopted son in a strange and dysfunctional family. Chappie is preternaturally gifted, one of a kind, a prodigy. He also happens to be a robot.