Reptile Aliens Subdue Humans in Trailer for Neill Blomkamp Film

Reptilian slave-master aliens abound in the first trailer for Neill Blomkamp’s experimental short film Oats Studios Volume 1, which looks to be a sci-fi project in a similar vein to his blockbuster about alien refugees, 2009’s District 9. But unlike that movie, Oats Studios Volume 1 will frame extraterrestrials as unambiguous villains; as the trailer’s narrator says ominously, “They came here to exterminate us.”

Blomkamp’s “Oats Studios” venture is a set of experimental films that are, according to a recent tweet of his, “tests for potential full feature films.” This forthcoming project will be the first of the series.

The trailer shows a dystopian reality in which the Eiffel Tower is covered in weeds, humans are held captive by gun-bearing aliens, and soldiers — some in vehicles flying Texas flags — attempt to fight back. “The new world altered everyone,” says the foreboding female voiceover. “Adapt or die: It was as simple as that.”

It’s no Alien sequel, which fans had hoped Blomkamp might create, but it’s original sci-fi, which is honestly much better. Blomkamp’s already a short film pro; he worked on many before hitting it big with the full-length District 9.

We don’t know exactly when this film will come out, besides “soon,” or what its length will be, besides “short.” Hopefully more details are coming our way, but for now, this visually engrossing trailer is plenty for us to feast on.