The cast for Neill Blomkamp’s much-anticipated follow-up to District 9, Elysium, is continuing to expand in interesting ways, with Yu Tu Mama Tambien’s Diego Luna the latest likely recruit.
Luna joins an ensemble that already boasts the likes of Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, Sharlto Copley, William Fichtner, Wagner Moura and Alice Braga. While he’s still mentioned as “in talks”, Luna’s up for the role of Julio, who just so happens to be Damon’s character’s best friend.
While Blomkamp has been careful to keep a veil of secrecy over most of the movie’s details, Variety’s report makes mention of humans and aliens in conflict over the Earth, which makes a change from most of the earlier stories, which had the story taking place on a distant planet. But what we do know for sure is that the same vein of social commentary that ran through District 9 will be present in Elysium.
The director – who also wrote the script – is set to kick off shooting next month, with a release date set for March 8, 2013.