Despite being an ambitious sci-fi fable, the original film directed by Neill Blomkamp had a complicated split that unfortunately led to the cancellation of Chappie 2. Despite the popularity of the first movie and its unique portrayal of artificial intelligence, ultimately it was not enough to secure a sequel. Nevertheless, fans continue to hold out hope for a revival of this futuristic tale.
While fans may be clamoring for more self-aware robots, here’s why a sequel to Chappie never materialized. Neill Blomkamp made an impressive debut with District 9 in 2009. The film is an ambitious project that seamlessly blends gory action and stunning effects while exploring themes like xenophobia and racism through a science fiction lens. It also introduces the audience to the incredible talent of lead actor Sharlto Copley. Blomkamp and Copley reunited for the movie Chappie, which tells the story of a police robot that gains sentience after being stolen by criminals.
Copley starred as Chappie, while Hugh Jackman and Sigourney Weaver played supporting roles. Despite its ambition, the film received mostly negative reviews upon release and temporarily stalled Blomkamp’s directorial career; it remains his only film since then, although he has signed on to direct a video game adaptation called Racing GT. However, despite its poor initial reception, Chappie has amassed a significant following since its release. While some fans are eager to know what Chappie would do next, a sequel is not in the cards–Chappie was intended to be a standalone film from the start.
Chappie box office disappointment
An important reason why a potential sequel to Chappie is almost guaranteed to never happen at the box office is poor performance of the first movie. While poor reviews don’t necessarily mean a potential sequel will fall, it’s true of Chappie 2. The estimated budget for the first movie was $49 million, but it grossed just over $100 million worldwide. Given marketing and other expenses, it’s unlikely the film turned a profit. Director Neill Blomkamp has a trilogy plan, and while the film has an inexplicably gripping ending with Chappie bringing his creators Deon and “Mom” Yolandi back to the robot, there’s no sign yet that shows the studio will move forward with Chappie 2.
Neill Blomkamp has ruled out Chappie 2
Sometimes, when a studio withdraws from producing a sequel, the director will attempt to obtain the rights elsewhere, but this did not occur with Chappie 2. Neill Blomkamp has repeatedly expressed his pride in the final film and how painful its failure was for him personally. While he obviously loves the character, he is also a realist and has confirmed that there will be no sequel due to the dismal box office success of the first movie. Blomkamp even joked that making boys pay him to see Alien 5 would make him queue up for work. The director recovered from the pain of the film’s failure, opened Oats Studios and produced a series of great short films like Rakka and Zygote. Even though he has plans to return to RoboCop, given that franchise’s lackluster performance, it seems that his excitement lies with racing film GT. This suggests that it is time for Blomkamp to move on.
Die Antwoord makes a Chappie sequel impossible
An unfortunate aspect of the original film’s legacy that could prevent Chappie 2 from happening is the controversial inclusion of South African rap duo Die Antwoord in the cast. The musicians, Ninja and Yo-Landi Visser, play two criminals who welcome Chappie to their gang. Despite other big names like Sigourney Weaver returning to the film, Die Antwoord brings significant baggage due to various accusations and controversies.
There have been disturbing allegations of physical and sexual abuse by both members toward a young man adopted by the couple, along with reports of numerous scuffles and inappropriate behavior with other artists they’ve worked with. With these charges still pending, it is unlikely that any major Hollywood studios would be interested in approving a movie involving them in any way. Additionally, it is doubtful that Blomkamp or anyone else involved in the first film would work with Die Antwoord again on Chappie 2.