District 10 News & Updates: Everything We Know

Here are all of the available details regarding long-awaited District 9 sequel, District 10. As feature film debuts go, few in recent memory have made a statement quite like Neill Blomkamp’s District 9, released in 2009 to box office success and considerable acclaim. Inspired by the South African apartheid, District 9 is set within a Johannesburg camp for aliens who came to Earth in the 1980s. The novelty of mankind’s first extra-terrestrial encounter has since worn off, and many now view Earth’s visitors as an unwanted drain on resources.

The plot follows Sharlto Copley’s Wikus, who is forced to reevaluate his preconceptions of the “Prawns” after accidentally transforming into one himself. He teams up with an alien called Christopher, who seeks to escape Earth and make contact with his own kind. Christopher departs successfully, promising to return with a cure for his new friend.

Not only did District 9‘s initial success warrant a continuation, but the ending left more than enough ambiguity to accommodate a sequel. 12 years later, District 10 still hasn’t happened, but testament to the original film’s popularity is how fan interest has endured during that period. Neill Blomkamp can barely pop outside his front door without someone asking about District 10, but what do we actually know about his sequel so far?

Will Neill Blomkamp Make District 10?

In a word, yes. Enthusiasm from District 9‘s director and co-writer has not been one of the issues holding District 10 back, and even before the first film released, Blomkamp was making positive noises with regards to developing his sci-fi debut. That attitude has remained unchanged over the past 12 years, with the main stumbling block being Blomkamp’s other projects (Chappie, Alien 5, Elysium). In February 2021, Blomkamp finally confirmed that District 10 was officially in development. Unless something goes terribly wrong, it’s a case of when District 10 will happen, not if.

District 10 Release Date

Unfortunately, a release date is trickier to nail down. In his confirmation tweet earlier this year, Blomkamp revealed District 10 was only in the initial writing phase, and a more recent July update claimed this process was still ongoing. As such, District 10 still has an awfully long path to walk, with further drafts, casting, filming and post-production all still to come. For any other film, one might forecast a 2024 release, but given how long District 10 has taken just to reach this early stage, there really is no reliable timescale. Fans can only be encouraged that District 10 now appears to be Blomkamp’s priority.

District 10 Cast: Will District 9 Actors Return?

In his February announcement, Neill Blomkamp revealed that District 10‘s script would once again be co-written by Terri Tatchell. This time, however, Sharlto Copley himself will be contributing to the writing. Indeed, District 9‘s star has been as positive as Blomkamp about returning to his breakout role, so it’s safe to assume Wikus will feature in District 10. Taking into account the ending to District 9, it’s also reasonable to expect Jason Cope (Christopher) and Vanessa Hayward (Tania, Wikus’ wife) back, though nothing is confirmed at present. Blomkamp has, however, teased a mostly new plot for District 10, rather than a conventional continuation, and this could limit the amount of familiar faces.

District 10 Story Details: How Will It Continue District 9’s Plot?

There are two main questions left over from District 9 that District 10 won’t be able to avoid answering. Firstly, what happened to Earth after Christopher escaped? Are the Prawns now the dominant species on Earth? Was there an invasion attempt? Or has humanity simply subjugated the rest of Christopher’s people too? Secondly, did the alien come good on his promise to cure Wikus, or is Sharlto Copley’s character still transformed?

As mentioned above, however, District 10 isn’t necessarily a straight sequel to District 9. Blomkamp says an unspecified period in American history has inspired his District 10 story, so the previous dynamic between alien and human could be markedly different, rather than repeating the narrative of man ruling over slums filled with aliens. There’s no word on which historical era Blomkamp is eyeing for District 10, but it’s easy to imagine how the treatment of Native Americans between the 17th and 19th centuries could fit the existing narrative.

About The Author

Craig Elvy
(3624 Articles Published)

Craig first began contributing to Screen Rant in 2016, several years after graduating college, and has been ranting ever since, mostly to himself in a darkened room. Having previously written for various sports and music outlets, Craig’s interest soon turned to TV and film, where a steady upbringing of science fiction and comic books finally came into its own.
Craig has previously been published on sites such as Den of Geek, and after many coffee-drenched hours hunched over a laptop, part-time evening work eventually turned into a full-time career covering everything from the zombie apocalypse to the Starship Enterprise via the TARDIS.

Since joining the Screen Rant fold, Craig has been involved in breaking news stories and mildly controversial ranking lists, but now works predominantly as a features writer.
Jim Carrey is Craig’s top acting pick and favorite topics include superheroes, anime and the unrecognized genius of the High School Musical trilogy.

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