You may (or if you’re into being productive with your time, may not) remember the name Neill Blomkamp attached as director to a film adaptation of Halo–some video game/sci-fi franchise about an armored space marine fighting armored aliens and plant zombies.

The Halo: How Not To Get a Movie Made debacle was mercifully suckerpunched in part due to budget fights and the rumored disgruntlement over the choice first time feature director Neill Blomkamp. Despite the project’s collapse and my subsequent bitter weeping/Westward fist shaking, Blomkamp came out of the Halo collapse A-ok and began cranking away on the Peter “I AM Lord of the Rings” Jackson produced District 9, which makes sense, considering the whole concept is based on Blomkamp’s Alien Nation-esque Alive in Joburg short. But with way more money.

Footage for District 9, which lends an air of realism to a sci-fi story based on hobo aliens integrating with humans, was recently screened by Sony Pictures at ShoWest- the annual studio/theater owner convention. Word from uber-fansites Ain’t It Cool News and First Showing is the footage was gasp-inducing, solid and fantastic. Take that, Blomkamp doubters.

Of course, the film isn’t set for release until August 14, the footage was only a brief segment and two comments can easily be taken with a grain of salt, but as a fan of Neill Blomkamp’s shorts and effects work, I’m throwing objectivity under the bandwagon and hedging my bets. Don’t make me look the fool, Neill. Please.

Either way, the marketing for District 9 is happening right now and vying for ocular attention here. While there isn’t a trailer yet, one is set to arrive in a couple weeks. You can be sure we’ll post the sucker when it does. In the mean time, enjoy the short Alive in Joburg courtesy of an obscure website called YouTV or YourTubes or something. A better, non-embedable version, as well as a bunch of his other stuff, can be seen here.