Blomkamp torn about District 9 game

By Tom Bramwell Published 11 January, 2010

But nothing's happening anyway.

Film director Neill Blomkamp has said there are no current plans to make a game based on District 9 and that he's pretty conflicted about the idea anyway.

"The idea of District 9 as a videogame stresses me out a little bit because games based on movies rarely work. And movies based on games don't work - I don't know what's up with that," the director told the LA Times (thanks Kotaku).

"District 9 as a game would be fascinating. And I don't want to see it happen for any sort of corporate reason or profit thing. I used to be involved in computer graphics and I love virtual environments. That's why I like videogames, really.

"And I think a virtual environment of the slums of Soweto is an appealing idea to me. The weapons are cool, too. I photographed the film in a way that isn't that different than videogame perspective in some parts. So a game would be interesting to me. There's nothing happening with it though."

Blomkamp is probably best known in gaming circles as the man who was going to direct the aborted Halo film, which was in pre-production before the director declared it dead in late 2007.

When pressed by the LA Times on why he would have chosen to work on a film-of-a-game if he thinks they don't work, and if this meant he thought he could be the guy who finally did make it work, he replied; "Yeah, totally, that's exactly why." Oh well, District 9's done good.

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (28) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • altitude2k #1 2 years ago

    Make it a FPSRPG (a la Mass Effect or Fallout 3) then you could be onto a winner. Unfortunately, the mass concensus in the industry when it comes to movie tie-ins is that "people want to blow shit up".

  • wizlon #2 2 years ago

    DON'T DO IT!! please. I would quite like a sequel though.

  • menage #3 2 years ago

    Movies based on games could work if the producers would at least play the damn thing before churning olut a "Hollywood" vision of it. Reading the back of the box just isn't enough.

  • Bravestinsane #4 2 years ago

    @wizlon

    Totally agree fuck the game give us a sequel film was asome..

    Thumbs up to the guy for saying that is totally right they never work.

  • andywilkie35 #5 2 years ago

    What a film, seen it so many times now, absolutely love it. Not sure I want a game though.

  • bad09 #6 2 years ago

    Fookin' prawns....

  • altitude2k #7 2 years ago

    'allo, it's the sweety man!

  • patchbox360 #8 2 years ago

    its almost impossible to build a script around game charaters - the majority are 1 dimensional and usually have zero relationships with the opposite sex, family or friends.

    however Uncharted 2 and Drake does break that mold.

  • Sunyavadin #9 2 years ago

    At least he's realistic.

    Sad state of affairs though.

  • neonxaos #10 2 years ago

    A Resident Evil-style action-adventure could possibly work. But if there are any doubts, they should just leave it be - we all know how we feel about half-assed movie tie-ins.

  • menage #11 2 years ago

    @patchbox

    loads of movies about lonely dysfunctional people, see no problem there;D

  • Razorus #12 2 years ago

    Hey! Stop urinating please! Sign the focking form!

  • makeamazing #13 2 years ago

    I can see the point of not making a game of it... the film is amazing and who wants a poor knock off game ruining the overall canon of it.

    It was certainly one of the best films of last year, sadly i only just saw it on BR a couple of weeks ago... and i feel such a muppet for missing this film at the cinema. Hope the next film will be just as good.

  • neems #14 2 years ago

    I find it hard to imagine that current hardware could do justice to the exo-skeleton / walking tank battle.

    That said, an FPSRPG like somebody upstairs mentioned, it could work I suppose.

    "Don't poke him!"

  • AphoticCosmos #15 2 years ago

    Please don't do it.

    Just make the sequel! So many questions need answering!

    Also, Wikus van de Merwe foor der vin, ja? You fockin prawns!

  • chudders #16 2 years ago

    Saw District 9 for the first time last night. Awesome film and agree with the general consensus here - forget the game, give us a sequel.

  • Monkey_Puncher #17 2 years ago

    Maybe Natal support where you get to point your fockin' tentacles at him?

  • azazel_fallenangel #18 2 years ago

    As I saw it in the cinema, I immediatly wanted to use those wepons in some sort of FPS. Would need a good story though, and good acting, that's what really makes the film so great, Charlto Copley deserves an Oscar in my opinion, and if they could give best supporting actor to a CGI charecter who only talks in clicks, then Christopher should be srtaight up there giveing a very clicky speech.

  • hahayou #19 2 years ago

    I thought a lot of the weapons in the film were "inspired" by videogames anyway? The film was awesome but a game adaptation probably wouldn't feel nearly as fresh.

  • KujiGhost #20 2 years ago

    Forget the game, I just want a little sweetie from ma Unkle Wikus.

  • Nylz #21 2 years ago

    Like a few smart people already noted: Do NOT do it. It will not work and it will only ruin things. Luckily some people think before doing something stupid. Like they wanted to make a Metal Gear movie, but then decided not to. In most cases (not all) it will make beautiful things rotten.

  • SAMagic #22 2 years ago

    I demand a clunky tower defense game based on the company merc security forces keeping the prawns in District 9!

  • altitude2k #23 2 years ago

    @RABicle

    Terminator Salvation?! Thank God for Terminator Salvation! It may not have been T2, but it sure as hell washed away the bad taste left in my mouth after T3!

  • Pac-man-ate-my-wife #24 2 years ago

    Great!

    A game where you get to fight hordes of aliens in broken landscapes with crazy weaponry. If only such games existed already.

  • Madafunkola #25 2 years ago

    I watched the Spanish zombie-horror [REC] yesterday - now if they could get a game to have that "feel" that would be good. Confined claustophobia, limited vision, unfolding story, periods of blindness... awesome!

  • Xensor #26 2 years ago

    District 9 is a truly fantastic film and personally i think there shouldn't be a sequel and definitely not a game. Leave it as the amazing piece of work that it is and move onto something new.

  • Madder-Max #27 2 years ago

    One of the best films I have ever seen and definatley needs a sequel....but not an Independance day type bollock. Something as cerebral as the first.

    We seem to be forgetting that there is a third faction; the Nigerians. Pure multiplayer game with prawn (strength and alien weapo0ns), nigerian (control of desired resources and mercenary army) and human classes (military) sort of in line with the new Aliens game perhaps?

  • Slipstream #28 2 years ago

    LOL Max, Nigerians are human too, well for now anyway, who knows what that alien delight has stirred inside of them...

    As for the game? Well, here we have a film director clearly aware of the sad state of affairs associated with movie to game tie-in's. So I say why not? If what he's saying is true about not wanting it as a cash cow then some genuine TLC could really go a long way and I mean a long way, not a year down line, so that means keeping Activision well away from it!