Image of

THE world is going crazy over a locally shot movie, District 9, which features aliens and UFOs moving into Johannesburg.

RELATED LINKS

The film currently occupies the top box office spot in the US and is enjoying rave reviews from some of the toughest movie critics worldwide.

District 9, starring the fairly unknown Sharlto Copley and directed by Neill Blomkamp – both South Africans – raked in 37million (about R296 million) when it opened in the US last week, outdoing the likes of GI Joe: The rise of Cobra, The Time Traveller’s Wife and Julie & Julia.

“The results, which far exceeded the industry expectations, instantly turns Blomkamp, the 29-year-old from Johannesburg, into the new prince of a town 10 000 kms away,” wrote The Times magazine on Sunday.

“Hollywood loves a guy who makes a smart, popular movie that in three days earns considerably more than its skimpy 30 million (R240 million) budget.”

Copley made the cover of last week’s Entertainment Weekly, an honour usually reserved for Hollywood’s A-list actors and actresses, the New York Times said this week.

The movie’s trailer, which was posted on YouTube a few days ago, already had 586 308 views by yesterday.

Its fan group page on Facebook has 103 379 members.

District 9 is a sci-fi movie produced by Peter Jackson, the Oscar-winning filmmaker behind The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Various websites describe the movie as a story about aliens making their first contact with humans when they land in Johannesburg.

The looming tension between humans and aliens leads to a private company stepping in and putting the creatures in makeshift settlements.

It is also believed that the movie is an allegory about apartheid.

Locally, the Eyewitness News reported this week that the movie could be the biggest South African export ever.

“Industry insiders are predicting it will be bigger than Oscar- winning Tsotsi. There is talk that it will rake more than the R7million that that film took (in South Africa) when it opened in 2006.”

South African audiences will see District 9 for the first time next week when it opens at local cinemas on August 28.

Ayanda Delanto, a NuMetro manager at Hemingway’s Casino, said they had already put up posters advertising the opening of the movie in East London.

“The date is subject to change but that is the date we have at the moment. There is a lot of anticipation for the movie already and there is no doubt that we will get a good turnout when it (the movie) eventually comes out. The movie came at the right time as we have just added three new theatres with improved sound,” said Delanto.

Ster-Kinekor will begin showing the film the same day. - By LINDILE SIFILE, Entertainment Reporter