District 9 and Elysium director working on multiplayer game with Crytek and Ubisoft veterans

Neill Blomkamp will bring his creative vision to the style and story of this mysterious video game.

Photograph by Neill Blomkamp (Image by Gunzilla Games)

Known for the formidable District 9 , director Neill Blomkamp has always been very close to the video game industry, to the point that his great film emerged from the ashes of the Halo movie in which the filmmaker was going to work after surprising the fans with their fantastic Halo 3 shorts . Later he would also take over the spectacular Anthem short called Conviction . Why is Neill Blomkamp news today? It has been confirmed that the director of Elysium is working on a new multiplayer video game with veterans of Crytek, EA and Ubisoft among other studios.

It is about adding to the aesthetics of the game the cinematographic style of my filmsNeill BlomkampFor now, the name of this new video game that began to be worked on last year is unknown. Its managers are Gunzilla Games , a team that despite the commitment to multiplayer wants to introduce narrative elements in its competitive action. IGN magazine collects statements from the filmmaker and this independent studio, who have long-term plans for this project. “It’s about bringing the cinematic style of my previous films to the aesthetics of the game,” commented Blomkamp.

Neill Blomkamp is already working on the sequel to District 9, known as District10.

“The difference from directing a film is that I cannot act as the center of everything that guides the creative team. You have to ensure that you integrate with the team in a real way,” continues the District 9 director. with a very specific point of view, but it has to work on both levels. It has to be accepted by the majority of the team as the right creative direction. And it also has to be, above all, something that can be integrated into one’s own essence of the video game to be beneficial for that gaming experience. “

I have no experience in video games, but I think I can contribute interesting ideasNeill BlomkampHow does the figure of a screenwriter fit into a multiplayer action video game? Blomkamp understands that as soon as players start the game “the narrative takes a back seat”, but it is still important to build a game universe that engages fans. “If you think of something like Elysium , the huge foresight behind the construction of its universe , you may spend 95% of your time just thinking about designing this world and only 5% is what you see in the movie.” And this seems to be the philosophy behind this mysterious multiplayer game that, even so, will seek ways to transmit its story “through other means” that players will gradually discover.

IGN has asked him if his role is similar to that of George R. Martin in the highly anticipated Elden Ring , since the author of Game of Thrones has dedicated himself to designing the fantasy universe in which the action of the game takes place, and Blomkamp has been very clear: “you are thinking in the right way.” Unfortunately the filmmaker has not wanted to go into more detail about what kind of story we can expect, although he does make it clear that it will not be related to any of his films, although science fiction could be the chosen theme.

Video games will be the dominant form of entertainment cultureNeill Blomkamp“I have no experience as a videogame designer, but I have other knowledge that I think can make the game more interesting,” he continues. “And at least I can learn from him and start to grow. The analogy I use is, if you look at the second half of the 20th century, books were on a shelf and people sometimes read a book, but what cinema and television prevailed when it came to defining the culture of the moment “. And now he believes that films and analog formats will be “the books of the new century”, as people seek interactive experiences like video games themselves.

“Video games will become what movies were in the 20th century. They will be the dominant form of entertainment culture and I want to be there.” For that reason, he concludes, if the game is successful, “I hope to be with Gunzilla for a long time.” That said, the platforms on which this multiplayer game will be released are also unknown. Thus, it only remains to wait for more specific details about this project.