This sci-fi film, produced by Peter Jackson (Lord of the Rings, King Kong), will begin shooting in Spring 2008. in South Africa. Details of the film's plot are being tightly guarded while pre-production is underway.

"We have seen some of Neil's enormously creative work launching Halo 3 and he is a true talent who understands how to use visual effects in full service of the story. With Peter Jackson and his team at WETA workshop working with Neil, we believe District 9 can be a true event tent pole on our release slate," said Amy Pascal, Co-Chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment.

After plans for a big screen Halo movie produced by Peter Jackson and directed by Neil Blomkamp fell through due to budgetary reasons, District 9 was announced. Neil Blomkamp is of course the South African director who made a splash with that Citroen transforming into dancing giant robot ad a few years back. (The big screen Michael Bay Transformers movie has sort of taken the shine off it by now to be honest.)

Of course District 9 (the title) invokes memories of the infamous "District 6" forced removal of an entire mixed race neighbourhood in Cape Town during the Apartheid regime in South Africa, something which South African-born Blomkamp must surely be aware of . . .