District 9 director Neill Blomkamp never did get to make his Halo movie. However, Blomkamp still has a foothold in the video game world after directing an Anthem prequel short film. He’s now helping a studio called Gunzilla Games with its first game, a multiplayer shooter.
Blomkamp — who also directed Elysium, Chappie and the upcoming Demonic — has joined Gunzilla as chief visionary officer, as IGN reports. He’ll help guide the aesthetic of the game and provide input on aspects such as design, audio and the narrative from a film director’s perspective. He admitted that he hasn’t worked in game development before, so collaborating closely with other key creatives on the project will be crucial.
The studio was formed last year and employs developers who have experience at the likes of Crytek, Ubisoft and EA. The shooter, which is still largely under wraps, might not be a one-and-done deal for Oscar nominee Blomkamp.
“Games will […] become what films were in the 20th century,” he told IGN. “They’ll just be the thing that is the dominant form of cultural entertainment and [I want] to be in that. Mixing my history in visual effects and interest in 3D graphics means I want to have a home base in the creation of games for a really long time. So if the game is a success and everything works out, hopefully I’m staying at Gunzilla for a long time.”
Blomkamp is joining a long line of notable filmmakers and creatives from other mediums who’ve moved into games. Guillermo del Toro was set to direct the canceled Silent Hills alongside Hideo Kojima, while George R. R. Martin helped craft the world of Elden Ring. Steven Spielberg has credits on several games too. Along with his work on the Medal of Honor series, he was creative director on an EA puzzle game called Boom Blox.
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