Spoiler Warning: District 9 (2009)
District 9 proposed a challenging concept for sci-fi fans. What if aliens with technology more advanced than humans were to arrive only to fall victim to earth's third-world status and immediately be relegated as second-class citizens, segregated, and experimented on? Kind of a worst-case scenario for an E.T. civilization showing up on earth, but the leap in logic was challenging for some audiences. Others speculated beyond what the film provided onscreen to make sense of the situation.
Theories have been proposed, such as the aliens known as "Prawns" are already a slave race to another species. Or perhaps they were all once human until somehow exposed to the liquid mutating agent that the lead character Wikus (Sharlto Copley) undergoes in the third act. While the question remains, how an alien species with more advanced technology can fall victim to human segregation will likely be further explored in District 10.
The politically heavy sci-fi sequel received an update recently from Neill Blomkamp, who is confident the film will be coming soon with a plan to continue his social commentary based on events from American history. While we don't know exactly what the filmmaker has in mind, it could be parallel to the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. He could also take a cue from earlier world history involving slavery. The technologically superior aliens may find themselves sold, traded, or forced to use assigned drinking fountains and bathrooms. While the concept remains a difficult pill to swallow, fans are still eager to see what's next in the not-so-subtle politically fueled franchise.
The ending of District 9 sets up the sequel. After the alien ship departs (leaving most of the others behind for reasons unknown), text appears on the screen informing us that District 10 now houses 2.5 million aliens and continues to grow. The paradox of its premise will resume, likely depicting another slum-like environment where the Prawn species struggle to survive in less than ideal conditions.
While there are several more traditional plotlines, one can speculate, District 10 will likely follow the original format with documentary-style interviews that serve as a window into this world where these insectoid aliens continue to try and co-exist with humans on earth. The objective of District 9 seemed to serve two purposes. There was the political message about humans making awful decisions toward another sentient race, and there was also the actual plot of the film, which felt somewhat secondary on the priority list. This led to fans proposing theories and likely filled in blanks that may or may not have helped inform the plot for the new film.
Let's look at some holes in District 9 and how the sequel may help fill in the gaps.
The Prawn Culture
The home world of the Prawns is mentioned in the original film, citing its seven moons and size, which is several times larger than Earth. We may see the surface of the Prawn planet, though it is unlikely. If we were to see how Prawns live on their home world, it might raise difficult questions like, why aren't they attempting to live on Earth as they do on their planet? However, if the writers find a way, it could be a valuable patch to explain why the insect-like species are in this predicament in the first place.
Perhaps they use a particular kind of material not present on earth or rely on some other means of construction that cannot be duplicated here. The Prawn culture, in general, needs more information, though Blomkamp may be creatively liberated to stay in a preferred realm of political commentary by keeping it vague. The Prawn species serving as a metaphor for marginalized people requires a balancing act, and should certain answers come to light, it could threaten the house of cards the concept is resting on.
In place of these pesky plot points, we will likely be exposed to more docu-style interviews that help quell the concept's absurdity.
A Modern Take on Alien Life
With UFOs and UAPs having become a more relevant topic recently, Blomkamp may seize the opportunity to propose his own theories as to what the extraterrestrial presence on earth is all about. While some sci-fi fans would be excited to see a more dynamic approach to District 9 that expands the universe, potentially bringing in other species and clever ways that humans could fit into a cosmic narrative, it's all very unlikely.
District 10 will probably continue to feature corrupt human characters doing despicable things to aliens, whether it's the most realistic scenario or not. The challenge may come down to keeping audiences onboard without asking too many questions, requiring a serious suspension of disbelief that somehow managed to work for most audiences in the first film. A sequel runs the risk of tipping the formula further into absurd territory and even becoming offensive if not managed just right.
Blomkamp's subsequent feature efforts, Chappie, Elysium, and Demonic, all divided audiences in different ways, but District 10 is surely the director's most anticipated film. The original was received well and often framed as a 'game changer' for the genre.