It’s hard to believe we’re coming up on three years since Neill Blomkamp’s District 9. As far as feature debuts go, Blomkamp’s was pretty goddamn incredible, with its engaging sociopolitical subtext interspersed with genuine science fiction and a touch of body horror thrown in.
Now we’re finally learning more about his followup, Elysium (releasing March 1, 2013). If this image is any indication, we can expect some pretty intense weaponry (something District 9 also had in spades). Here we have a bald Matt Damon wielding an uber-assault riffle. Damon’s joined here by a solid cast, one that includes Jodie Foster, Diego Luna, Sharlto Copley and the never not sexy William Fichtner.
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.