In the future, the wealthy live free of poverty and illness on the space station Elysium. While the rest of us poor mooks live on Earth like a bunch of sick losers. Matt Damon stars as an ex-con on Earth who uses a weaponized exoskeleton to aid his mission to break into Elysium, rip killer robots apart with his bare hands, and find a cure for the cancer that is rapidly

UPDATE: Sony has snagged Neill Blomkamp‘s Elysium with Universal co-financing, forcing rival studios to let out a collective, “Awwwwwwww!” At the same time, MRC has signed an overall deal with Blomkamp, and has given a green light to a second movie called Chappie. The film will go into production right after Blomkamp completes Elysium, which is now scheduled for a late 2012 release. At least now we know that Blomkamp prefers titles that mean absolutely nothing out of context.

It’s safe to say that Neill Blomkamp won’t have any trouble finding a home for his District 9 follow-up Elysium. He’s going door-to-door today to see which studio bites.

Matt Damon, Sharlto Copley, and Jodie Foster are already hooked in to star. Big news today is that the elusive Syd Mead has signed on for set design. The guy who made Blade Runner look like Neo-Tokyo is such a fan of District 9 that he dropped the art diva routine and to take the job. Now we’re guaranteed that this futuristic thriller will at least deliver on the promise of looking futuristic. (Deadline)

DIRECTOR: DJ Caruso

CAST: Alex Pettyfer; Sharlto Copley; Teresa Palmer; Dianna Agron

SYNOPSIS: Nine alien teens come to Earth after their planet is destroyed by an enemy species. But soon discover that their enemy is now after them on Earth.

Blomkamp is keeping the film’s plot under wraps, but the few clues he has provided indicate that Elysium will take place on an alien planet sometime in the future. There will be an abundance of sociopolitical commentary, violence, and sociopolitical violence, which everyone knows is the best kind because it really makes you think, you know? (Deadline)

The Matt Damon - Djimon Hounsou hand transplant was a complete success.

Neill Blomkamp‘s Elysium is picking up serious steam. He shopped his second sci-fi film around Hollywood earlier this week, and now it looks like he’s found his leading man in the form of Matt Damon. Sharlto Copley has already agreed to join the film, and more major casting is expected over the next few months.

We still don’t know much of anything about this project except that it takes place on an alien world, is very violent, and deals with sociopolitical themes. As a fan of Blomkamp and Damon, I’m really eager to learn more. Plus, this is Damon’s first science fiction film. Fans have been waiting years to see him fire a laser gun. (Deadline)

Neill Blomkamp is moving forward with Elysium. What the hell is Elysium? Does it involve the secret origin of the McRib? No. Elysium is a sci-fi action film loaded several sociopolitical commentary and questions that takes place in the future on a distant planet. Another thread that will tie this to District 9 is the news that Sharlto Copley will continue his dude-crush with the director by appearing in this film.

He’s taking meetings all over town with an Elysium graphic novel in tow (as he did with District 9). Looks like he’s figured out the perfect way to pitch to execs. “And as you’ll see from this drawing, the space-jeep goes, ‘VVRRRROOOOOMMMMMM!!!!!’” (Deadline)

The A-Team
PG-13, 99m., 2010
Cast: Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, Sharlto Copley, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Jessica Biel, Brian Bloom, and Patrick Wilson
Directed by Joe Carnahan
Screenplay Joe Carnahan, Brian Bloom, and Skip Woods based upon the 1980s TV show
 
The A-Team is a big, wild, and un-P.C. knuckle punch of a summer ride.
 
Based upon the campy 80s action TV series of the same name, a team of hot-doggin’-bruised forearm military men led by Hannibal Smith (Liam Neeson, at his stoic cigar chompin’ best). The men at his side are Templeton “Face” Peck (Bradley Cooper doing his smarmy and swaggered best), a sly Guido type, who is quick with his hands and mind, H.M.“Howlin’ Mad” Murdoch (Sharlto Copley of District 9 in a go for broke, zany performance), a brilliant but mad-capped pilot, and B.A. Baracus (UFC Fighter Quinton “Rampage” Jackson), a tightly wound pit bull with his signature “Pity” and “Fool” tattooed on his mammoth knuckles.
 
As the motley crew spans the globe, made apparent by title cards like “Somewhere in Mexico” to "Iraq War" to "West Banks of Germany," each man has his specialty and intro screen smashing sequence.
 
The assignment in the film is to retrieve special money engraving plates, which will lead the team to being double-crossed by a rouge black ops agent named Pike (Brian Bloom, also co-writer of the movie) and the CIA, lead by the fit and spray-tanned group of Patrick Wilson and Jessica Biel.
 
On a whole, the plot is just a macguffin for director Joe Carnahan and writer Bloom to relish in the dirt, blood, and sweat of these red-meat eating characters and the ongoing plot and battle sequences feel like an expensive afterthought.
 
One of the great surprises here is actor/co-writer Brian Bloom’s performance as Pike, at unknown screen actor who usually specializes in video game voiceovers. Here he shows real menacing talent with his steely blue eyes and deep-graded voice. A darkly comical scene involving him and a car full of dim witted CIA agents about the nature of killing a man with a silencer shows how he and director Carnahan like to focus on the little details of  action with character.
 
While there are plenty of big absurd action moments from exploding planes, cargo docks going up in flames, and a falling tank that defies the law of physics, the movie is also chock full of small surprises from a fireworks fight involving real fireworks to Murdoch’s cooking recipes involving gun powder and anti-freeze. At times it does get out of hand with a “How’s My Driving?” bummer stick on the free falling tank, yet what lies in the success of big obnoxious summer movies are those little attention to details.
 
With The A-Team, the mid-point in the summer of mercenary action team movies is here, from last month’s little seen The Losers to August’s grand opus The Expendables. It may not be an A kind of movie but with a B, The A-Team gets the job done, while well-peppered in gunpowder and sweat.
 
Grade: B

Timothy Olyphant ("Justified," The Crazies, "Deadwood") has hopped on I Am Number Four after Sharlto Copley had to drop out to promote The A-Team. Which makes sense. You don’t want to leave "Rampage" Jackson alone in a room full of reporters.

Olyphant will be stepping into the role of "guardian and mentor" to Alex Pettyfer‘s alien refugee Number Four. I see no mention of this guardian being kick-ass Southern lawman, but the casting of Timothy Olyphant would suggest that’s the case. Must be a typo. (Variety)

_{"Just sliding down a building with my feet. No big deal."}

Warning: If you thought the last trailer for The A-Team was ridiculous you better redefine your idea of the word. Otherwise this new trailer will boggle your sense of reason so completely that you may need to self inflict pain in order to keep a firm grasp on reality. Most of this is Rampage Jackson‘s doing.

Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, Sharlto Copley, and the aforementioned gravity-defying Jackson all look like badasses in the action-packed trailer, but I think it’s Patrick Wilson who really deserves a shoutout. Not only is he playing the villain, which we don’t see much from him, but there’s no indication that he’s in danger of losing his testicles in this movie. After Hard Candy and Barry Munday, Wilson must have wanted to branch out and take on one of those "non-castration" type of roles.

Check out The A Team trailer after the jump, if you’re capable of suspending your sense of disbelief.

The A-Team Trailer 2 – Watch more Movie Trailers

A low-res trailer for Smokin’ Joe Carnahan‘s The A-Team has leaked online. All in all, it looks pretty fun and over the top. The action has been drastically updated since the 1980′s series. For instance, a tank fights a jet… thousands of feet above the ground. Take that Live Free or Die Hard!

It actually reminds me somewhat of the Charlie’s Angels movies except it won’t make you want to choke out Cameron Diaz. Which is no small feat.

Everyone in the cast looks good too, including Rampage Jackson. Check it out after the jump before it gets yanked.

A-Team Trailer – TheFilmStage.com from Clive Owen on Vimeo.

(via /Film) 

Typical "Entertainment Tonight" puff piece here, but something worth checking out at the 1:30 mark. Is it just us, or does District 9‘s Sharlto Copley, who’s been cast as Howlin’ Mad Murdock, look a whole helluvalot like Dirk Benedict’s version of Face from the original "A-Team" series?