8 'Next Big Thing' Movie Directors Who Didn't Live Up To The Hype

1. Neil Blomkamp

Directorial debuts don't really get better than District 9. An original sci-fi movie that hit a nerve with both audiences and critics - raking in strong box office receipts as well as securing a heap of Academy Award nominations - director Neil Blomkamp immediately became one of the most fascinating names working in the genre, with the hype for his next project, Elysium, going through the roof.

Sadly, there was probably no way that Blomkamp could ever deliver on the expectations people had for him. Everyone expected the filmmaker to produce another District 9 during the four-year wait for Elysium, and when that film turned out to be a solid-if-underwhelming sci-fi action movie, public perception quickly soured.

The director hasn't been able to catch a break since, with Chappie further convincing people that he was a mere one-trick pony. His most exciting project - a true sequel to Aliens set to bring back Sigourney Weaver and Michael Biehn - never got off the ground thanks to Ridley Scott returning to the universe he created, and the director has struggled finance any movie since.