Though her commitment to Mortal Instruments follow-up The City Of Ashes might be up in the air thanks to the fantasy sequel’s delayed shooting schedule, Sigourney Weaver is taking the sudden work gap as a chance to dip back into sci-fi. She’s joined the cast of Neill Blomkamp’s latest, **Chappie.
The District 9 / Elysium director is now starting the cameras rolling on the film in Johannesburg with Hugh Jackman, Dev Patel, Ninja, Yolandi Visser, Jose Pablo Cantillo and Brandon Auret aboard to star alongside regular collaborator Sharlto Copley, who is voicing the main character.
Chappie, written by Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell, sees the title character kidnapped at birth by two gangsters and becoming the adopted son of a strange, dysfunctional family. He’s a preternaturally gifted prodigy who – oh yes – just so happens to be a robot. There’s no word on what role Weaver will play.
Blomkamp has described it as a mixture of RoboCop and light comedy, and we’re definitely intrigued to see the final product. From the sounds of the expanded synopsis, it also sounds a little like **A.I. **
Weaver was last seen in supernatural comedy Vamps and is currently at work on Ridley Scott's Exodus.