2. Elysium
Released On: 9th August (US), 20th September (UK)
Whats It About: Neill Blomkamps second film, Elysium, sticks very much in the same metaphor sci-fi niche that his debut, District 9, flourished on. Set on an overpopulated Earth where the richest live high in the sky on the high security Elysium, Matt Damon plays an everyman desperate to get the medical care the station provides. Tackling against Jodie Foster's head of security and Sharlto Copely grunt, he must find his way onto the station.
Why Itll Be Awesome: Although for gamers, nothing will make up for Blomkamp not getting to make the long gestating Halo movie, for everyone else District 9 was a glourious treat. More than just a simple apartheid allegory, it brought fresh action and wonderful creature design films with four times its budget fail to replicate. Elysium ups the budget and the cast, while also keeping the talented Copely and slum setting. Its the classic case of talented men with a bigger sandbox and the trailer leads us to expect something astonishing.