10 Directors Who Could Take Over Transformers From Michael Bay

District 9 was a gamechanger to sci-fi when it came out in 2009, proving CGI-heavy, high concept ideas could be accomplished on a modest budget, and though severely flawed Elysium showed he could bring that style to a larger canvas. But after the failure of Chappie and his Alien sequel being quietly abandoned, Neill Blomkamp could really use something like a big franchise picture as a pick-me-up.

Transformers may not be immediately aligned with Blomkamp's sensibilities, but production-wise he's perfectly suited. All of his films have featured extensive visual effects work that blends seamlessly with the live action, so there's no doubt he could handle that aspect.

What Blomkamp could definitely add to the franchise is a genuine sense of grit. Bay's latter Transformers films tried to present a dystopian feel, but Bay's gaudy and glossy sensibilities constantly got in the way. Blomkamp's entire style is defined by its dirty real-world aesthetics, and that would be a great change of perspective from the slickness of Bay's work.

Of course, Blomkamp's films are also very heavy on their themes, which could prove to be either a saving grace or a detriment. When they're in the subtext, they give his work a greater amount of context. However, one of the main failings of both Elysium and Chappie is that they got too heavy with hammering home the message.

But if Blomkamp can reign that in and deliver just enough depth whilst focusing on his talent as an entertaining filmmaker, the franchise would be in solid hands.