We got our first look back in November at Chappie, the upcoming film from director Neill Blomkamp (District 9, Elysium).

Now, a second trailer for the film has been released, which you can watch here below.

The new trailer see the roles of Hugh Jackman, Dev Patel, and Sigourney Weaver come into sharper focus and reveals more action than the more emotional spin of the first trailer. It also became more apparent to me that Chappie draws strongly on elements from two sci-fi classics, RoboCop and Short Circuit, which Blomkamp is weaving into a dystopian sci-fi take on Pinocchio.

Director Neill Blomkamp posted some gorgeous concept art to his Instagram page yesterday of an Alien project that he had been working on, but seems to have now abandoned.

The Elysium director posted 10 pieces of concept art with descriptions, noting on the first piece of a xenomorph, “Was working on this. Don’t think I am anymore. Love it though. #alien #xenomorph” On another post, he said, “Woulda rocked. Was a mental stroll into the world Ridley Scott created.” There’s art for the Weyland Yutani headquarters, Ripley — one of which has her wearing the space jockey head gear — Hicks, the alien egg, the Facehugger, and more. But, with the last piece of concept art, Blomkamp, who’s next film is the lighthearted scifi film Chappie (due out on March 6, 2015), he wrote “….maybe I’ll go back to it ….love the world.”

Check out here below the concept art for Blomkamp’s Alien project that would have been (and maybe still will be!).

The first trailer has been released for Chappie, the next movie from District 9 and Elysium director Neill Blomkamp.

The movie is a coming-of-age tale, but instead of following a young human being coming into their own, this follows a robot. It stars Dev Patel, Hugh Jackman, Sigourney Weaver, Jose Pablo Cantillo, South African rap-rave duo Die Antwoord (Yo-Landi Visser, Ninja), and Sharlto Copley as Chappie.

You read a summary, see a poster, and watch the trailer below.

It’s the year 2154 and Earth has been ravaged by disease, crime, pollution, war, and famine. The planet has become ruined and overpopulated, its inhabitants are poverty-stricken and suffering. Miles above Earth orbits the man-made space station called Elysium, where the ultra-wealthy reside in a lavish, healthy, crime-free environment far from the hazards of Earth. But Elysium’s idyllic existence is about to be disrupted. Max (Matt Damon), a dying man with only days left to live, embarks on a imperative mission from Earth to Elysium and is outfitted with the tools to see his dangerous mission through.

Elysium, director Neill Blomkamp‘s follow-up to District 9, introduces us to this dystopic Earth and its orbiting space station, Elysium, which is a paradise with lush vegetation, beautiful weather, mansion estates, and medical pods that easily cure people of their illnesses. The creation of the Elysium space station is just one segment contained in the new Titan Books release, Elysium: The Art of the Film by Mark Salisbury (Prometheus: The Art of the Film, Burton on Burton). This 176-page full-cover oversized hardcover contains concept and production art and designs, as well as stills from the film, along with first-hand accounts from the filmmakers, including legendary artist Syd Mead (Blade Runner, Tron).

Here’s 10 Facts About The Elysium Space Station From Elysium: The Art of the Film…

Elysium
Director: Neill Blomkamp
Screenwriter: Neill Blomkamp
Cast: Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, Sharlto Copley, Alice Braga, Diego Luna, Wagner Moura, William Fichtner
Sony Pictures | TriStar Pictures
Rated R | 109 Minutes
Release Date: August 9, 2013

In the year 2154, only two classes of people exist: the global elite, who live on a high-tech space station called Elysium, and the rest, who live on the overpopulated, diseased “Third World slum” Earth has become.

“Illegals” risk their lives to escape the planet’s crime and poverty, in desperate need of the state-of-the-art medical technology available on Elysium – but Secretary Delacourt (Jodie Foster) will stop at nothing to enforce anti-immigration laws and preserve Elysium citizens’ luxurious lifestyle.

After an industrial accident leaves him with radioactive poisoning, 36-year-old factory-worker and ex-con Max DeCosta (Matt Damon) has only five days to get from the ruins of Los Angeles to Elysium in order to be cured. Max is outfitted with a powerful exoskeleton and kidnaps a wealthy businessman (William Fichtner) in order to steal his identity and hijack his way into Elysium. If he succeeds, he could save not only his own life, but the poor, huddled masses on Earth as well.