District 9 and Elysium director, Neill Blomkamp, is known for exploring important social and political issues through his innovative science-fiction films, and his upcoming movie Chappie doesn’t appear to buck that trend. However, the coming-of-age story about an intelligent android does have one element that none of Blomkamp’s prior films have going for them: Die Antwoord.
Ninja and Yo-Landi Vi$$er, the popular South African rappers collectively known as Die Antwoord, have featured roles in the upcoming film that casts them as criminals who abduct a high-tech police robot with the intention of reprogramming it to assist in their illegal endeavors. In a new featurette posted to the pair’s YouTube channel, their involvement in the film is explained by Blomkamp and the rest of the film’s creative team, as well as by Ninja and Yo-Landi themselves. There’s also quite a bit of new footage to be seen in the featurette, which offers some insight regarding this surprising collaboration.
The Die Antwoord duo is joined in the cast by Hugh Jackman, Dev Patel, and Sigourney Weaver, but the inimitable pair’s unique style and attitude that have earned them millions of fans around the world have clearly been preserved — and from the look of things, given quite a bit of the spotlight — in the film.
Chappie hits theaters March 6.
