Neill Blomkamp made one of the best movies of the year (thus far) in District 9, a $30 million dollar alien movie that ended up having a heart and effects far beyond what anyone expected from a movie with that price tag.
Now, for Neill Blomkamp’s next film, a company called Media Rights Capital (MRC) has stepped in with a unique deal that includes filmmaker freedoms far beyond what a normal studio deal would fetch.
MRC is giving Blomkamp creative freedom and a production commitment that isn’t contingent on domestic distribution. The director and Block will get an ownership stake in the finished product.
Blomkamp will immediately start writing and preparing the visual effects. The film will be modest by sci-fi standards, but it will certainly cost more than “District 9,” the under-$30 million budget film that grossed more than $184 million worldwide.
MRC will engage distributors around the time the picture goes into production.
MRC is also letting Blomkamp start shooting in 2010 without a release date, meaning no rushed production or post-production teams trying to throw everything together. After the film in finished, Blomkamp and MRC will approach distributers with a finished film made without heavy studio involvement.
And just what is this flick about? All we know is that it’s another sci-fi film:
“I’m not particularly interested in massive budget films, or creating huge spectacles that some young directors might be attracted to,” [Blomkamp] said. “Hopefully, this will be a bit unique, very much a reflection of me. It is absolutely another science fiction film, quite different from `District 9,’ but some of the blending of genres and the tone might be within the same realm.”
