Of the well-reviewed reel shown during the Sony Pictures panel, director Neill Blomkamp says, 'There's no lies about it. It's completely about want to seeing cool footage.'
- Jul 14, 2012
AceShowbiz - The first ever footage of Matt Damon's upcoming sci-fier "Elysium" has been screened during a Sony Pictures panel at Comic-Con on Friday, July 13. Receiving a warm response from reviewers, the 7-minute reel was dubbed "the most impressive thing screened in Hall H" during the annual convention.
Introducing the clip, director/screenwriter Neill Blomkamp said that the footage was "incredibly rough." Though admitting that at first he was unsure to show the reel, he's convinced to bring it to Comic-Con because "it's a true, honest thing." He stated, as quoted by The Hollywood Reporter, "There's no lies about it. It's completely about want to seeing cool footage."
It was said that the setting shown in the footage was similar to the world in Blomkamp's 2009 film "District 9" completed with its slums and garbage dumps. It featured an overpopulated world where the rich live in a space station called Elysium. Damon's character was a steel worker who wanted to enter the station. He must kidnap an Eartbound resident in order to do that.
Taking the stage with Jodie Foster and Sharlto Copley, Damon dished on how he first discussed the film with Blomkamp, who introduced the actor to a graphic novel which highlights an elaborate story and setting. "It was in such incredible detail. So arresting," said Damon. "And there was a whole corresponding book on weaponry and a whole book on vehicles."
Blompkamp revealed that the origin of his upcoming sci-fi flick came from "an idea of a space station." He explained, "In the film, the wealth was taken and separated from Earth, leaving an impoverished planet behind it."
Speaking about the filming of "Elysium", which took place in the world's second largest garbage dump in the world, Damon said that it was a tough challenge. "We would be black with dust," he recalled. "And we would look at each other and say, 'This is fecal matter.' And Neill would come over, take off his mask and say, 'I promise you, the photography looks great!' "
The director added that he wanted to reduce the use of green-screen and CGI in the movie. "The situation that gets more dangerous if there's acting against a digital creature. Anything non-human," he reasoned. "That's where you can run into trouble."
Sony will release "Elysium" in the U.S. on March 1, 2013.
