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* David James as Koobus
* David James as Koobus
* Vanessa Haywood as Tania<ref>http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1136608/fullcredits#cast</ref>
* Vanessa Haywood as Tania<ref>http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1136608/fullcredits#cast</ref>
* Miley Cyrus as Alien Alpha Female


==References==
==References==

Revision as of 10:11, 19 July 2009

Template:Future film

District 9
Promotional film poster
Directed byNeill Blomkamp
Written byNeill Blomkamp
Terri Tatchell
Produced byPeter Jackson
Bill Block
Ken Kamins
Paul Hanson
Elliot Ferwerda
StarringJason Cope
Robert Hobbs
Sharlto Copley
CinematographyTrent Opaloch
Production
company
Distributed byTriStar Pictures
Release date
August 14, 2009
CountryTemplate:FilmUS
LanguageEnglish

District 9 is an upcoming science fiction film produced by Peter Jackson and directed by Neill Blomkamp. The film is set for an August 14, Template:Fy release date.[1] It takes place in Johannesburg, South Africa. The teaser trailer for the film was released with X-Men Origins: Wolverine[2] as well as Year One.

Plot

District 9 is based on Alive in Joburg, a short film directed by Neill Blomkamp, Sharlto Copley, Simon Hansen and Shanon Worley. Copley also portrayed one of the interviewed policemen. The short film is about aliens landing in South Africa and becoming confined to a specific area and forced to work.

In the movie, aliens make first contact with Earth twenty-eight years prior while humanity waited for the hostile attack or for giant advances in technology, though neither came. Instead, the aliens that arrived were refugees; the last survivors of their home world. The creatures were set up in a makeshift home in South Africa's District 9 as the world's nations argued over what to do with them. Patience over the alien situation ran out and control over them was contracted out to Multi-National United (MNU), a private company uninterested in the aliens' welfare. MNU stood to receive tremendous profits if they can make the aliens' advanced weaponry work.

MNU, thus far, have failed in making the alien weaponry work as activation of the weaponry requires alien DNA. Tension between the aliens and the humans comes to a head when an MNU field operative, Wikus van der Merwe (Sharlto Copley), contracts a mysterious virus that begins changing his DNA. Wikus quickly becomes the most hunted man in the world, as well as the most valuable, as he is the key to unlocking the secrets of alien technology. Van der Merwe becomes ostracized and friendless and comes to hide in District 9.

Marketing campaign

The film relies partially on Viral marketing to build hype. Among the techniques used are: an immersive website and, most recently, posters in various cities on bus stops. The first widespread use of this marketing tactic for this movie occurred at the 2008 San Diego Comic Con. A large protest rally against the movie's "non-human" race spread all over the convention center, going as far as to declare certain restrooms and exhibition halls for 'humans only'.

The official website for the film, D-9.com, is "run" by Multinational United (MNU), a fictitious company from the film. After a 32-second MNU "safety alert" promoting the site and a phone number, the website presents the viewer with a short instructional video and two options: enter the site as human or "non-human" (the film's cultural reference for "alien").

Both versions of the site have differences: The narrative tone of the human version of the website is calm and appealing while the narrative tone for the non-human is forceful and commanding. The map provided for the human version is mostly blue with very few restricted zones. The map provided for the non-human version, however, shows the majority of the map to be restricted. The non-human site is written in an alien script, providing an option to "translate to English." The human website does not provide a link to translate English to the alien script.

MNUSpreadsLies.com is a fictional blog run by a non-human equal rights advocate ("Christopher"), arguing that Multinational United is oppressing the non-human race. The website shows an uncensored version of the film's trailer originally seen upon navigation to D-9.com. In it, the alien's face is not pixellated. A translation of the alien's responses to his interrogator are provided (blog entry 05-06-2009 "See The Real Me"). The blog is written in an alien script, providing an option to "translate to English."

File:District-9 advertising Canterbury Tail 25 June 2009.jpg
Advertising on the side of a building in Toronto, Canada.

Starting in June 2009, signs on bus benches reading "BUS BENCHES FOR HUMANS ONLY" began appearing in major cities. Similarly, posters reading "BUS STOP FOR HUMANS ONLY" began appearing at bus shelters. Other "no aliens" posters have appeared in businesses and comic shops. Posters encourage "reports" of "non-human activity" by calling a toll-free number: 1-866-666-6001. The call connects to the fictitious MNU company. The caller is offered a number of options, such as the ability to "report non-human activity" or explore "career" opportunities for humans or "labor" opportunities for non-humans available at MNU. It also gives the caller the opportunity to speak to a representative. Later posters for the film, also appearing in major cities, include "THIS BUS (or THIS CAR) FOR HUMANS ONLY".

Peter Jackson has confirmed to give a panel about the movie in San Diego Comic-Con 2009.[3]

On May 1, the teaser trailer was officially released online on Apple.com and later added to D-9.com, the official website, and was also attached to the film X-Men Origins: Wolverine. The theatrical trailer was released to the internet on Wednesday, July 8, and alongside the film Bruno.

Cast

References

  1. ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1136608/releaseinfo
  2. ^ http://district9news.com/2009/05/review-of-the-trailer-links-to-hd-version/
  3. ^ Brooks Barnes, "Lord of ‘Rings’ to Pay First Visit to Comic-Con", New York Times, June 6, 2009.
  4. ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1136608/fullcredits#cast

Marketing websites

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