Ninja took to Facebook to reflect on the experience, and offers some illuminating tidbits. Most interesting is the fact that Ninja and Yo-landi worked with Blomkamp for two years before the film began shooting, which furthers my suspicion that they will leave a creative mark on this film that transcends their acting roles. It also appears that Blomkamp had to lobby hard for a green light to their casting, which is hardly surprising really. That his vision won out is a good sign though.
In Ninja's own words:
'After being kidnapped by two criminals during birth, Chappie becomes the adopted son in a strange and dysfunctional family. Chappie is preternaturally gifted, one of a kind, a prodigy. He also happens to be a robot.'
fuck man
shooting CHAPPIE was so fukn cool!
this may sound corny but it really and truly was a dream cum tru!!!
when we 1st saw DISTRICT 9 (like 3 or 4 years ago) we were so mindfuckingly blown away, 1stly becoz it was a South African film, (which are usually notoriusly shit) but not only was it so shockingly good... D9 made me feel the same way i felt when i watched TERMINATOR 2 wen i was a kid!
and i didnt know i could still feel so excited about a movie like that!!!
and BAM!
just like dat...
...Neill Blomkamp became our favourite director / artist on da planet
THEN!!!! when we got an email (like 3 years ago) from Neill with the subject:
OH MY GOD!
and a lil mail that said:
I FUCKING LOVE YOU GUYS!
we nearly died!!!
but we also thought...
fuck, it this really Neill Blomkamp???
then Neill came backstage to say hi 2 us after a DA concert in vancouver....
...and we was like jeeeziz krrraaaaist!!! it really is him!!!
...and we showed Neill da D9 tattoos we both have chopped inside of our mouths... and we all became super good friends!!
i know this sounds corny, but u really should ALWAYS believe it your dreams!
i had heard other famous people say this before, like Mariah Carey and Biggy Smalls and whoever... and it always sounded like, far-fetched or something...
we worked with Neill on CHAPPIE for 2 years BEFORE we finally shot it, and when you aim high... boy u gonna get tested!!!
for some God known reason, when u aiming 4 the top, some people just wanna take u down!!! lol!
probably coz they too lazy too reach for the top themselves, and instead of rooting for you, they try fuck you...
not everyone tho!
most people love it when you shine!
cos it excites them and maybe even inspires them to do the same
plus fucking with Die Antwoord is pretty much like throwing stones at a tank.
so anyway, Neill met sooo many challenges putting this insane masterpiece explosion of a film together, mainly cos of the HUGE gamble he was taking by casting these 2 weird-ass ZEF motherfuckers from the dark depths of afrika, as the LEAD ROLES!!! starring along side a robot!!!
but that man fought so hard, tooth and nail to keep us as the leads!!!
...and to keep our identities 100% AUTHENTIC!
and because Neill's vision was so strong and so clear...he won!!!!
...and damn, everyone is soooo tweaked out by how fucking crazy cool this movie is coming together!!!
me and ¥ are tweaked out the most!!!
its just so nuts dat we get to star in a big ass hollywood sci-fi film, set in south africa, as OURSELVES!!!
i mean fuck, its almost like a miracle or something!!!
and Neill is such a fuckin genius, plus he has da fuckn ultimate sci-fi
style of all time... so rugged and raw!!!
the only difficult thing is that we have to wait sooooo long to see it!!!
aaaaargggghhhh!!!!
but holy fuck, its gonna be worth the wait!!!
With this level of excitement I'm inclined to believe him.