Well, that didn’t take long. Just after reports earlier today that director Neill Blomkamp was shopping his secretive sophomore sci-fi epic “Elysium” around town, it’s now been revealed that Sony wants to get back into business with the director in a big way.
THR reports that the studio has coughed up a staggering $120 million dollars for “Elysium” and while it’s not yet confirmed, we presume it will give them worldwide rights to the film. And while the figure might be high, it’s easy to see why Sony wants to work with the director once again. “District 9” was a massive hit for the studio, pulling in over $200 million worldwide on a budget of $35 million and landing four Oscar nominations including Best Picture (a rarity for sci-fi films). As for “Elysium” it’s already boasting a strong cast with Matt Damon, Jodie Foster and Sharlto Copley all aboard, and even more exciting, famed “Blade Runner” visual futurist Syd Mead has come aboard to work on set design. Frankly, it’s not surprising it was snapped up so quickly.
Pre-production on the film is slated to begin in April with shooting to begin in July in Vancouver before moving to Mexico in the fall. The film will be fully financed by Media Rights Capital and is currently eyeing a holiday season 2012 release.
