Despite over a decade passed since the previous film, the District 9 sequel has gotten an optimistic update from star Sharlto Copley. Copley starred in the original film as Wikus van de Merwe, a mild-mannered diplomat working for the Multinational United's Department of Alien Affairs, formed after an extraterrestrial ship arrived in an alternate 1982 above South Africa's Johannesburg that subsequently created a cordoned-off camp specifically for the malnourished aliens known as prawns. Merwe is sent into the titular district to relocate the aliens to a camp outside of the city, only to inadvertently become infected with an alien fluid and slowly transform into a prawn.

Alongside Copley, who made his feature acting debut in the film, the cast for District 9 included Jason Cope, David James, Vanessa Haywood, Louis Minaar, Eugene Khumbanyiwa and Kenneth Nkosi. Co-written by Terri Tatchell and director Neill Blomkamp, based on the latter's short film Alive in Joburg, the sci-fi thriller scored widespread critical acclaim for its themes, story, visual effects and the performances from its cast, namely Copley, subsequently earning four Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. With the film also becoming a box office success, grossing over $210 million against its $30 million production budget, talks of a District 9 sequel have swirled for years and now one close to the original film has a hopeful update on its potential.

While speaking with ComicBook.com to discuss the survival thriller Beast, Sharlto Copley offered an optimistic update on the District 9 sequel. The star confirmed he and writer/director Neill Blomkamp are still discussing a possible follow-up and teased when they may begin moving forward on it. See what Copley shared below:


We do [still talk about it]. I mean, we came so close to doing it. So hopefully, after his next movie, maybe we'll do it then.

As Copley notes above, efforts to make a District 9 sequel have circulated in the 13 years since the first film came out, with Blomkamp frequently confirming his hopes to produce a follow-up, though often noting a difficulty in paring down his ideas to one film. The star's mention that the two came "so close" to making it seems to point towards a year after the original movie came out, when Copley indicated that a District 9 sequel was very likely, but that his and Blomkamp's schedule would prevent it from being made for a few years. The original film did propel both into the mainstream spotlight thanks to its critical and commercial success, with Blomkamp going on to helm both Elysium and Chappie, the former of which was a box office hit while the latter was only modestly successful, and Copley would appear in everything from Hollywood tentpoles like The A-Team to indie fare, such as Hardcore Henry.

While Copley's latest comments may not give any direct confirmation of its development, his optimistic update for a District 9 sequel does largely line up with recent news on the follow-up. Blomkamp confirmed in early 2021 that he and Tatchell were reuniting to write the script for the film, entitled District 10, with Copley also penning the sequel, which has been met with a largely divisive response from audiences, given the lackluster responses to both Chappie and last year's Demonic. While audiences await further details on the sequel, they can revisit the original District 9 streaming on Freevee now.