Comic-Con: Peter Jackson stumps for ‘District 9’

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Lord of all geeks Peter Jackson turned up Thursday night at the first public screening of the new film ‘District 9’ to let the audience know just how proud he was to have produced the first feature from ‘exciting new filmmaker’ Neill Blomkamp, one that hearkens back to his ‘old splatstick days.’ He had reason to trumpet the South African’s debut.

The film, which has been heralded by a clever marketing campaign, supposes what would happen if a spaceship suddenly appeared over Johannesburg and offers a pretty grim but compelling and highly politically charged take on the events that might unfold. Imagine aliens confined to ghettos and becoming the objects of rampant discrimination and much, much worse. (To say more would be to give away too much of the inventive storyline.)

Before the screening, Jackson, the filmmaker and the movie’s star, Sharlto Copley, a friend of Blomkamp’s from his school days, stood in front of the crowd, sharing some southern hemisphere humor: Jackson warned that the actors’ South African accents might make for tricky viewing, pointing out ‘of course, New Zealand accents are easier to understand. And we’re better rugby players as well.’ The appropriately humble reply? ‘Yes, Mr. Jackson.’

‘District 9’ opens in theaters Aug. 14.

-- Gina McIntyre

Photos by David Bloomer, courtesy of TriStar Pictures