{"id":2054929,"date":"2026-07-21T18:27:58","date_gmt":"2026-07-21T15:27:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2054929"},"modified":"2026-07-21T18:27:58","modified_gmt":"2026-07-21T15:27:58","slug":"district-9-director-neill-blomkamp-criticised-over-ai-zombie-movie","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2054929","title":{"rendered":"\u2018District 9\u2019 director Neill Blomkamp criticised over AI zombie movie"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/neill_blomkamp.jpg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article id=\"template-id-2749694\" class=\"post-2749694 tdb_templates type-tdb_templates status-publish post\">\n<div id=\"tdi_65\" class=\"tdc-zone\">\n<div class=\"tdc_zone tdi_66  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div id=\"tdi_67\" class=\"tdc-row stretch_row_1400 td-stretch-content\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_68  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_70  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_breadcrumbs tdi_71 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 tdb-breadcrumbs \" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_71\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span>News<\/span><i class=\"tdb-bread-sep td-icon-right\"><\/i><span>Film News<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_title tdi_72 tdb-single-title td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_72\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">\u2018District 9\u2019 director Neill Blomkamp criticised over AI zombie movie<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_subtitle tdi_73 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_73\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p>\u201cEven in the hands of an established director, AI slop looks indistinguishable from everyone else\u2019s AI slop\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_author tdi_75 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 tdb-post-meta\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_75\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-author-name-wrap\"><span class=\"tdb-author-by\">By<\/span> Max Pilley<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_date tdi_76 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 tdb-post-meta\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_76\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><time class=\"entry-date updated td-module-date\" datetime=\"2026-07-21T19:27:58+01:00\">21st July 2026<\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p> <!-- .\/block --><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tdi_77\" class=\"tdc-row stretch_row_1400 td-stretch-content\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_78  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_80  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span8\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_featured_image tdi_81 tdb-content-horiz-left td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_81\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<figure>\n                                    <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"696\" height=\"442\" class=\"entry-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/neill_blomkamp-696x442.jpg\" alt title=\"Day 9 - Sitges Film Festival 2021\"><figcaption class=\"tdb-caption-text\">Neill Blomkamp at the Sitges 54th International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia on October 15, 2021 in Sitges, Spain. (Photo by Juan Naharro Gimenez\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"vc_row_inner tdi_83 article-content-row vc_row vc_inner wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column_inner tdi_85  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-inner-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"vc_column-inner\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_content tdi_86 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 td-post-content tagdiv-type\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_86\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p><i>District 9<\/i> director Neill Blomkamp has faced criticism after releasing a 13-minute zombie film made entirely using AI.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1174\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559683&quot;:0,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><b>READ MORE:\u00a0<\/b><b>\u2018District 9\u2019 director Neill Blomkamp: \u201cAt its height, COVID felt like science fiction\u201d<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The filmmaker shared the short, titled\u00a0<i>Nightborne<\/i>, on YouTube over the weekend, describing it as the first \u201cfull test AI film\u201d he has made.<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad0 id_ad_content-horiz-center\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span>  <\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-article-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Presented in the style of a documentary, it follows a US Army pilot who is shot down and declared dead during a mission in Syria. Her husband buries an empty coffin, but recovered footage reveals that she was enrolled in a classified military\u00a0programme\u00a0that uses implants to return dead soldiers to the battlefield.<\/p>\n<p>Check out the\u00a0short\u00a0below.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p><i>Nightborne<\/i>\u00a0is the first release from Barley Studios, a new AI-focused film studio founded by Blomkamp, and according\u00a0to the\u00a0video\u2019s\u00a0description, every frame was generated using ByteDance\u2019s\u00a0Seedance\u00a02.0 model, with Blomkamp directing the film \u201cshot by shot\u201d through text prompts.<\/p>\n<p>Blomkamp explained on social media that he now intends to use\u00a0the technology\u00a0to make a full-length film.<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad1 id_ad_content-horiz-center\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\"><\/span><\/p>\n<h5 class=\"taboola-mid-article-title\">Recommended<\/h5>\n<div id=\"taboola-mid-article\">\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve been experimenting with AI for a couple of years,\u201d he said,\u00a0\u201cand\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0now at the point where I want to tackle a full feature in this format. This is a 13-minute test start.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was made with real concept\u00a0artists, and\u00a0features the faces and voices of 32 real people. Barley Studios will be my new AI studio for creating my own films, the way Oats Studios was for traditional film and VFX.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/DbAUskRzj_M\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\">\n<div>\n<div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\n<div>View this post on Instagram<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Responses to the short have been\u00a0largely negative, with viewers\u00a0criticising\u00a0inconsistencies in the AI-generated visuals,\u00a0dialogue\u00a0and disjointed camera movements.<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad2 id_ad_content-horiz-center\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span>  <\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-article-2\" class=\"lazy-ad\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cNo thank you. What a crazy fall from grace for such a beloved filmmaker,\u201d one person wrote beneath the YouTube video.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWow Neill, thank you for showing us that even in the hands of an established director, AI slop looks indistinguishable from everyone else\u2019s AI slop,\u201d\u00a0another\u00a0wrote on X.<\/p>\n<p>Others questioned why the director was working with generative AI instead of pursuing the long-discussed sequel to\u00a0<i>District 9<\/i>. \u201cBro, we just wanted\u00a0<i>District 10<\/i>,\u201d one comment read, while another said: \u201cWaited 17 years for\u00a0<i>District 10<\/i>, and now this? Come on, man.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Blomkamp has not yet publicly responded to the criticism.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">wow Neill thank you for showing us that even in the hands of an established director AI slop looks indistinguishable from everyone else&#8217;s AI slop!<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Is this a 3D model? (@IsThisA3DModel) July 20, 2026<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Waited 17 years for District 10, and now this? Come on, man.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Adam Hlav\u00e1\u010d (@adamhlavac) July 20, 2026<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Released in 2009,\u00a0<i>District 9<\/i> was Blomkamp\u2019s first feature film. It followed a population of extraterrestrial refugees confined to an internment camp in Johannesburg, earning four Oscar nominations, including Best Picture.<\/p>\n<p>Blomkamp confirmed in 2021 that he was writing a sequel with the original\u00a0film\u2019s\u00a0star Sharlto Copley and co-writer Terri Tatchell.\u00a0Speaking to\u00a0<i>NME\u00a0<\/i>that year, he explained that the project had taken so long because he previously saw no compelling reason to return to the story.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor a decade there never really seemed to be a good reason to make a sequel,\u201d he said. \u201cIt just didn\u2019t feel like there was a justifiable reason to go back to that world in a way where there was something to actually say.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Blomkamp went on to direct\u00a0<i>Elysium<\/i>,\u00a0<i>Chappie<\/i>,\u00a0<i>Demonic<\/i>\u00a0and\u00a0<i>Gran Turismo<\/i>.<\/p>\n<p>Elsewhere,\u00a0George Lucas recently argued\u00a0that\u00a0the\u00a0adoption\u00a0of AI in filmmaking\u00a0is inevitable, comparing resistance to\u00a0the technology\u00a0to rejecting cars in\u00a0favour\u00a0of horses and carts.\u00a0\u201cThere\u2019s nothing you can do about it,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s progress, it\u2019s the future.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Conversely,\u00a0<i>Backrooms<\/i>\u00a0director Kane Parsons described AI-generated entertainment\u00a0as \u201ccultural rot\u201d that \u201cdefeats the purpose entirely of creativity\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Controversial\u00a0AI creation Tilly Norwood is also set to make its feature debut in the forthcoming AI-generated film\u00a0<i>Misaligned<\/i>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_tags tdi_87 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_87\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<ul class=\"tdb-tags\">\n<li><span>Related Topics<\/span><\/li>\n<li>AI<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper td_block_wrap vc_raw_html tdi_89 \">\n<div class=\"td-fix-index\">\n<h3>You May 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data-img-url=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/George-Lucas-400x254.jpg\" data-img-retina-url=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/George-Lucas-800x508.jpg\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"td-module-meta-info\">\n                    Film News<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">George Lucas claims AI makes it easier to make films: \u201cThere\u2019s nothing you can do about it\u201d<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"td_module_flex td_module_flex_1 td_module_wrap td-animation-stack\">\n<div class=\"td-module-container td-category-pos-above\">\n<div class=\"td-image-container\">\n<div class=\"td-module-thumb\"><span class=\"entry-thumb td-thumb-css\" data-type=\"css_image\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Tilly-Norwood-Creator-400x254.jpg\" data-img-retina-url=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Tilly-Norwood-Creator-800x508.jpg\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"td-module-meta-info\">\n                    Film News<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">AI \u2018actress\u2019 Tilly Norwood will make her debut in \u201ccoming-of-age story\u201d \u2018Misaligned\u2019<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"td_module_flex td_module_flex_1 td_module_wrap td-animation-stack\">\n<div class=\"td-module-container td-category-pos-above\">\n<div class=\"td-image-container\">\n<div class=\"td-module-thumb\"><span class=\"entry-thumb td-thumb-css\" data-type=\"css_image\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/live-donald-trump-400x254.jpg\" data-img-retina-url=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/live-donald-trump-800x508.jpg\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"td-module-meta-info\">\n                    Film News<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">Trump accuses Julia Roberts, Robert De Niro, and more of suffering \u201cTrump Derangement Syndrome\u201d in AI video<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"td_module_flex td_module_flex_1 td_module_wrap td-animation-stack\">\n<div class=\"td-module-container td-category-pos-above\">\n<div class=\"td-image-container\">\n<div class=\"td-module-thumb\"><span class=\"entry-thumb td-thumb-css\" data-type=\"css_image\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/12-F1-Credit-Warner-Bros@1200x900-400x300.jpg\" data-img-retina-url=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/12-F1-Credit-Warner-Bros@1200x900-800x600.jpg\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"td-module-meta-info\">\n                    Film News<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">Jodie Foster thinks Brad Pitt\u2019s \u2018F1\u2019 looks like it was made with AI \u2013 and not in a \u201cdisparaging\u201d way<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>                    <span class=\"td-page-meta\"><\/span><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><\/span><\/span><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><\/span>                <\/article>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_content tdi_86 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 td-post-content tagdiv-type\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_86\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p><i>District 9<\/i> director Neill Blomkamp has faced criticism after releasing a 13-minute zombie film made entirely using AI.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1174\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559683&quot;:0,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><b>READ MORE:\u00a0<\/b><b>\u2018District 9\u2019 director Neill Blomkamp: \u201cAt its height, COVID felt like science fiction\u201d<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The filmmaker shared the short, titled\u00a0<i>Nightborne<\/i>, on YouTube over the weekend, describing it as the first \u201cfull test AI film\u201d he has made.<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad0 id_ad_content-horiz-center\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span>  <\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-article-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Presented in the style of a documentary, it follows a US Army pilot who is shot down and declared dead during a mission in Syria. Her husband buries an empty coffin, but recovered footage reveals that she was enrolled in a classified military\u00a0programme\u00a0that uses implants to return dead soldiers to the battlefield.<\/p>\n<p>Check out the\u00a0short\u00a0below.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p><i>Nightborne<\/i>\u00a0is the first release from Barley Studios, a new AI-focused film studio founded by Blomkamp, and according\u00a0to the\u00a0video\u2019s\u00a0description, every frame was generated using ByteDance\u2019s\u00a0Seedance\u00a02.0 model, with Blomkamp directing the film \u201cshot by shot\u201d through text prompts.<\/p>\n<p>Blomkamp explained on social media that he now intends to use\u00a0the technology\u00a0to make a full-length film.<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad1 id_ad_content-horiz-center\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\"><\/span><\/p>\n<h5 class=\"taboola-mid-article-title\">Recommended<\/h5>\n<div id=\"taboola-mid-article\">\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve been experimenting with AI for a couple of years,\u201d he said,\u00a0\u201cand\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0now at the point where I want to tackle a full feature in this format. This is a 13-minute test start.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was made with real concept\u00a0artists, and\u00a0features the faces and voices of 32 real people. Barley Studios will be my new AI studio for creating my own films, the way Oats Studios was for traditional film and VFX.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/DbAUskRzj_M\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\">\n<div>\n<div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\n<div>View this post on Instagram<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Responses to the short have been\u00a0largely negative, with viewers\u00a0criticising\u00a0inconsistencies in the AI-generated visuals,\u00a0dialogue\u00a0and disjointed camera movements.<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad2 id_ad_content-horiz-center\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span>  <\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-article-2\" class=\"lazy-ad\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cNo thank you. What a crazy fall from grace for such a beloved filmmaker,\u201d one person wrote beneath the YouTube video.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWow Neill, thank you for showing us that even in the hands of an established director, AI slop looks indistinguishable from everyone else\u2019s AI slop,\u201d\u00a0another\u00a0wrote on X.<\/p>\n<p>Others questioned why the director was working with generative AI instead of pursuing the long-discussed sequel to\u00a0<i>District 9<\/i>. \u201cBro, we just wanted\u00a0<i>District 10<\/i>,\u201d one comment read, while another said: \u201cWaited 17 years for\u00a0<i>District 10<\/i>, and now this? Come on, man.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Blomkamp has not yet publicly responded to the criticism.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">wow Neill thank you for showing us that even in the hands of an established director AI slop looks indistinguishable from everyone else&#8217;s AI slop!<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Is this a 3D model? (@IsThisA3DModel) July 20, 2026<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Waited 17 years for District 10, and now this? Come on, man.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Adam Hlav\u00e1\u010d (@adamhlavac) July 20, 2026<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Released in 2009,\u00a0<i>District 9<\/i> was Blomkamp\u2019s first feature film. It followed a population of extraterrestrial refugees confined to an internment camp in Johannesburg, earning four Oscar nominations, including Best Picture.<\/p>\n<p>Blomkamp confirmed in 2021 that he was writing a sequel with the original\u00a0film\u2019s\u00a0star Sharlto Copley and co-writer Terri Tatchell.\u00a0Speaking to\u00a0<i>NME\u00a0<\/i>that year, he explained that the project had taken so long because he previously saw no compelling reason to return to the story.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor a decade there never really seemed to be a good reason to make a sequel,\u201d he said. \u201cIt just didn\u2019t feel like there was a justifiable reason to go back to that world in a way where there was something to actually say.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Blomkamp went on to direct\u00a0<i>Elysium<\/i>,\u00a0<i>Chappie<\/i>,\u00a0<i>Demonic<\/i>\u00a0and\u00a0<i>Gran Turismo<\/i>.<\/p>\n<p>Elsewhere,\u00a0George Lucas recently argued\u00a0that\u00a0the\u00a0adoption\u00a0of AI in filmmaking\u00a0is inevitable, comparing resistance to\u00a0the technology\u00a0to rejecting cars in\u00a0favour\u00a0of horses and carts.\u00a0\u201cThere\u2019s nothing you can do about it,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s progress, it\u2019s the future.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Conversely,\u00a0<i>Backrooms<\/i>\u00a0director Kane Parsons described AI-generated entertainment\u00a0as \u201ccultural rot\u201d that \u201cdefeats the purpose entirely of creativity\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Controversial\u00a0AI creation Tilly Norwood is also set to make its feature debut in the forthcoming AI-generated film\u00a0<i>Misaligned<\/i>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.nme.com\/news\/film\/district-9-director-neill-blomkamp-criticised-over-ai-zombie-movie-3958273&#8243;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/neill_blomkamp.jpg&#8221;] NewsFilm News \u2018District 9\u2019 director Neill Blomkamp criticised over AI zombie movie \u201cEven in the hands of an established director, AI slop looks indistinguishable from everyone else\u2019s AI slop\u201d By Max Pilley 21st July 2026 Neill Blomkamp at the Sitges 54th International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia on October 15, 2021 in [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,78],"class_list":["post-2054929","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-nme-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2054929","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2054929"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2054929\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2054929"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2054929"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2054929"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}