District 9

2009 film by Neill Blomkamp

For other uses, see District 9 (disambiguation).

Not to be confused with Section 9.

District 9

Theatrical release poster

Directed by| Neill Blomkamp
Written by|

* Neill Blomkamp
* Terri Tatchell

Based on| Alive in Joburg[a]
by Neill Blomkamp
Produced by|

* Peter Jackson
* Carolynne Cunningham

Starring|

* Sharlto Copley
* Jason Cope
* David James
* Vanessa Haywood
* Mandla Gaduka
* Kenneth Nkosi
* Eugene Khumbanyiwa
* Louis Minnaar
* William Allen Young

Cinematography| Trent Opaloch
Edited by| Julian Clarke
Music by| Clinton Shorter[1][2]

Production
companies

* TriStar Pictures
* QED International
* WingNut Films

Distributed by| Sony Pictures Releasing (through Ster-Kinekor in South Africa[3])

Release dates

* 23 July 2009 (2009-07-23) (SDCC)
* 13 August 2009 (2009-08-13) (New Zealand)
* 14 August 2009 (2009-08-14) (United States)
* 28 August 2009 (2009-08-28) (South Africa)

Running time

| 112 minutes[4]
Countries|

* New Zealand[5]
* United States[5]
* South Africa[5]

Language| English
Budget| $30 million[3]
Box office| $210.8 million[3]

District 9 is a 2009 science fiction action film directed by Neill Blomkamp in his feature film debut, written by Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell, and produced by Peter Jackson and Carolynne Cunningham. It is a co-production of New Zealand, the United States, and South Africa. The film stars Sharlto Copley, Jason Cope, and David James, and was adapted from Blomkamp's 2006 short film Alive in Joburg.

The film is partially presented in a found footage format by featuring fictional interviews, news footage, and video from surveillance cameras. The story, which explores themes of humanity, xenophobia and social segregation, begins in an alternate 1982, when an alien spaceship appears over Johannesburg, South Africa. When a population of sick and malnourished insectoid aliens is discovered on the ship, the South African government confines them to an internment camp called District 9. Twenty years later, during the government's relocation of the aliens to another camp, one of the confined aliens named Christopher Johnson, who is about to try to escape from Earth with his son and return home, crosses paths with a bureaucrat named Wikus van de Merwe leading the relocation. The title and premise of District 9 were inspired by events in Cape Town's District Six, during the apartheid era.

A viral marketing campaign for the film began in 2008 at San Diego Comic-Con, while the theatrical trailer debuted in July 2009. District 9 had its World Premiere on 23 July 2009 at San Diego Comic-Con.[6][7] It was released by TriStar Pictures on 14 August 2009, in North America and became a financial success, earning over $210 million at the box office. It also received acclaim from critics and garnered numerous awards and nominations, including four Academy Award nominations for Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Visual Effects, and Best Film Editing.[8]

## Plot

[edit]

In 1982, an enormous extraterrestrial spaceship arrives and hovers over the South African city of Johannesburg. Inside, an investigation team finds over a million malnourished insect-like aliens, and the South African government relocates them to a camp called District 9. Over the years, District 9 becomes a slum, and locals come to view the aliens—derogatorily called "Prawns"—as filthy, violent animals who bleed resources from humans.

Following unrest between the aliens and locals, the government hires Multinational United (MNU), a large defense contractor, to relocate the aliens to a new camp outside the city. Piet Smit, an MNU executive, appoints his son-in-law and MNU bureaucrat, Wikus van de Merwe, to lead the relocation. Meanwhile, three aliens named Christopher Johnson, his young son CJ, and his friend Paul search a District 9 garbage dump for Prawn technology; Christopher has spent the last 20 years synthesizing fuel from their contents. They finally fill an entire container in Paul's shack as the relocation begins, but when Wikus comes to serve Paul a notice, he finds the hidden container and accidentally sprays some fuel into his face. Koobus Venter, a cruel MNU mercenary, kills Paul.

Wikus begins mutating into a Prawn, starting with his left arm that was injured after the exposure. He is taken to an underground MNU lab, where researchers discover his hybrid DNA grants Wikus the ability to operate Prawn weaponry, which is biologically restricted from humans. Seeing the potential for profitable weapons research, Smit orders Wikus' body to be harvested for genetic material. Wikus, however, overpowers the lab personnel and escapes. While Venter's forces hunt him, a fake news story is broadcast claiming Wikus is a wanted fugitive, who has contracted a contagious disease from copulating with aliens.

Wikus takes refuge in District 9, finding Christopher and the spaceship's command module dropship concealed underneath his shack. Christopher explains that the confiscated fuel is needed to reactivate the dropship, which can then dock with the mothership. This would allow Christopher to rescue his people and return home, and cure Wikus with the equipment onboard. Encouraged by a phone call from his wife, Tania, Wikus steals powerful alien weapons from Obesandjo, a Nigerian crime lord who believes eating Wikus' alien arm will grant him alien abilities.

Wikus and Christopher attack MNU and reach the underground lab, where Christopher is horrified by the brutal experiments MNU has performed on his people. After seeing what MNU has done to his own kind, Christopher's priorities change. Christopher decides that he needs to get his people off of Earth immediately, and as a result, it will take more time for him to cure Wikus' condition. Enraged, Wikus knocks Christopher unconscious and attempts to fly the module to the mothership, but Venter has it shot down. Venter captures Wikus and Christopher, but Obesandjo's gang ambushes them and abduct Wikus.

CJ, who remained hidden in the dropship, remotely activates the mothership and a large robotic alien battle suit in Obesandjo's base. The suit guns down the Nigerians; Wikus enters the suit and rescues Christopher from the mercenaries. Heading towards the dropship, the two come under heavy fire; Wikus decides to stay behind and fend off the mercenaries, buying time for Christopher to escape, who promises to return in three years and cure Wikus. After all of the other mercenaries are killed, Venter finally cripples the suit, but several Prawns kill and dismember him before he can execute Wikus. Christopher makes it into the dropship with CJ, and the dropship is levitated via a tractor beam back into the mothership, which finally leaves Earth.

Wikus disappears, MNU's experiments are exposed to the public, and the aliens are moved to a new camp named District 10. Tania finds a handcrafted metal flower on her doorstep, giving her hope that Wikus is still alive. Wikus, now fully transformed into a Prawn, is shown in a junkyard crafting more flowers for his wife.

## Cast

[edit]

* Sharlto Copley as Wikus van de Merwe, a mild-mannered, shy, bumbling, awkward bureaucrat at the MNU Department of Alien Affairs, who becomes infected with an alien fluid, slowly turning him into one of the "prawns". This was the first time acting professionally in a feature film for Copley, a friend of director Blomkamp.[9]
* Jason Cope as Christopher Johnson, a District 9 prawn who assists Wikus in fighting MNU.
* Cope also performed the role of Grey Bradnam, the UKNR Chief Correspondent and all the speaking aliens, as well as for the cameraman Trent[10]
* David James as Colonel Koobus Venter, an aggressive, sadistic, and xenophobic PMC mercenary-soldier sent to capture Wikus. He is shown as taking pleasure in killing the aliens and responding brutally to anyone who opposes him.
* Vanessa Haywood as Tania Smit-van de Merwe, Wikus's wife.
* Mandla Gaduka as Fundiswa Mhlanga, Wikus's assistant and trainee during the eviction
* Eugene Wanangwa Khumbanyiwa as Obesandjo, a paralyzed psychopathic Nigerian gang leader who believes that eating alien body parts will enable him to operate their weapons
* Louis Minnaar as Piet Smit, managing director of MNU South Africa and Wikus's father-in-law
* Kenneth Nkosi as Thomas, an MNU security guard and good friend of Wikus
* William Allen Young as Dirk Michaels, the CEO of MNU
* Nathalie Boltt as Sarah Livingstone, a sociologist at Kempton Park University
* Sylvaine Strike as Katrina McKenzie, a doctor from the Department of Social Assistance
* John Sumner as Les Feldman, a MIL engineer
* Nick Blake as Francois Moraneu, a member of the CIV Engineer Team
* Jed Brophy as James Hope, an officer with the SAPS Alien Crimes Unit
* Vittorio Leonardi as Michael Bloemstein, MNU Department of Alien Civil Affairs
* Johan van Schoor as Nicolaas van de Merwe, Wikus's father
* Marian Hooman as Sandra van de Merwe, Wikus's mother
* Jonathan Taylor as the Doctor
* Stella Steenkamp as Phyllis Sinderson, MNU Alien Relations
* Tim Gordon as Clive Henderson, an entomologist at WLG University
* Nick Boraine as Lieutenant Weldon, Colonel Venter's right-hand man
* Robert Hobbs as Ross Pienaar, an MNU mercenary
* Trevor Coppola as MNU Mercenary
* Morne Erasmus as MNU Medic

## Themes

[edit]

Like Alive in Joburg, the short film on which the feature film is based, the setting of District 9 is inspired by historical events during the apartheid era, particularly alluding to District Six, an inner-city residential area in Cape Town, declared a "whites only" area by the government in 1966, with 60,000 people forcibly removed to Cape Flats, 25 km (16 miles) away.[11] The film also refers to contemporary evictions and forced removals to suburban ghettos in post-apartheid South Africa, as well as the resistance of its residents.[12][13] This includes the high-profile attempted forced removal of the Joe Slovo informal settlement in Cape Town to temporary relocation areas in Delft, plus evictions in the shack settlement Chiawelo, where the film was actually shot.[10] Blikkiesdorp, a temporary relocation area in Cape Town, has also been compared with the District 9 camp, earning a front-page spread in the Daily Voice.[14][15]

Dr. Shohini Chauduri wrote that District 9 even echoes apartheid in its title, as it is reminiscent "of District 6 in Cape Town, declared a whites-only area under the Group Areas Act". She also discusses how the wide shots used in District 9 strongly emphasize the idea of exclusion under apartheid. The separation of people and "prawns" into human and non-human zones marks South Africa's social divisions.[16]

The film emphasizes the irony of Wikus and the impact of his experiences on his personality, which shows him becoming more humane as he becomes less biologically human. The film uses his story to pose the question of humanity as the "prawn" characters in the film are shown to be kinder to Wikus than the actual humans are as he undergoes his transformation. The film also features the portrayal of Nigerian Arms dealers, provoking thought on conflict between marginalized communities.[17] Chris Mikesell from the University of Hawaii newspaper Ka Leo writes that "Substitute 'black,' 'Asian,' 'Mexican,' 'illegal,' 'Jew,' 'white,' or any number of different labels for the word 'prawn' in this film and you will hear the hidden truth behind the dialogue".[18]

Themes of racism and xenophobia are shown in the form of speciesism. Used to describe the aliens, the word "prawn" is a reference to the Parktown prawn, a king cricket species considered a pest in South Africa.[19][20] Copley has said that the theme is not intended to be the main focus of the work, but can work at a subconscious level even if it is not noticed. The racism in the film is portrayed on an institutional level, as despite the brutality towards the aliens by MNU exposed to the public they are still relocated as originally planned.[21]

Duane Dudek of the Journal Sentinel wrote that "The result is an action film about xenophobia, in which all races of humans are united in their dislike and mistrust of an insect-like species".[22]

Another underlying theme in District 9 is states' reliance on multinational corporations (whose accountability is unclear and whose interests are not necessarily congruent with democratic principles) as a form of government-funded enforcement. As MNU represents the type of corporation which partners with governments, the negative portrayal of MNU in the film depicts the dangers of outsourcing militaries and bureaucracies to private contractors.[23][24]

## Production

[edit]

### Development

[edit]

Producer Peter Jackson planned to produce a film adaptation based on the Halo video game franchise with first-time director Neill Blomkamp. Due to a lack of financing, the Halo adaptation was placed on hold. Jackson and Blomkamp discussed pursuing alternative projects and eventually chose to produce and direct, respectively, District 9 featuring props and items originally made for the Halo film.[25] Blomkamp had previously directed commercials and short films, but District 9 was his first feature film. The director co-wrote the script with his wife, Terri Tatchell, and chose to film in South Africa, where he was born.[26][27]

In District 9, Tatchell and Blomkamp returned to the world explored in his short film Alive in Joburg, choosing characters, moments and concepts that they found interesting including the documentary-style filmmaking, staged interviews, alien designs, alien technology/mecha suits, and the parallels to racial conflict and segregation in South Africa, and fleshing out these elements for the feature film.[28]

QED International financed the negative cost. After the 2007 American Film Market, QED partnered with Sony's TriStar Pictures for distribution in English-language territories, Korea, Italy, Russia and Portugal.[29][30]

### Filming

[edit]

The film was shot on location in Chiawelo, Soweto, during a time of violent unrest in Alexandra (Gauteng) and other South African townships involving clashes between native South Africans and Africans born in other countries.[31] The location that portrays District 9 is itself a real impoverished neighbourhood from which people were being forcibly relocated to government-subsidised housing.[10] Several scenes were shot at the Ponte building.[32]

Filming for District 9 took place during the winter in Johannesburg. According to director Neill Blomkamp, during the winter season, Johannesburg "actually looks like Chernobyl", a "nuclear apocalyptic wasteland". Blomkamp wanted to capture the deserted, bleak atmosphere and environment, so he and the crew had to film during the months of June through July. The film took a total of 60 days of shooting. Filming in December raised another issue in that there was much more rain. Due to the rain, there was a lot of greenery to work with, which Blomkamp did not want. Blomkamp had to cut some of the vegetation in the scenery to portray the setting as desolate and dark.

The film features many weapons and vehicles produced by the South African arms industry, including the R5 and Vektor CR-21 assault rifles, Denel NTW-20 20 mm anti-materiel rifle, Milkor BXP submachine gun, Casspir armoured personnel carrier, Ratel infantry fighting vehicle, Rooikat armoured fighting vehicle, Atlas Oryx helicopter and militarized Toyota Hilux "technical" pickup truck.[33][34]

Blomkamp said no single film influenced District 9, but cited the 1980s "hardcore sci-fi/action" films such as Alien, Aliens, The Terminator, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Predator and RoboCop as subconscious influences. The director said, "I don't know whether the film has that feeling or not for the audience, but I wanted it to have that harsh 1980s kind of vibe—I didn't want it to feel glossy and slick."[28]

Because of the amount of hand-held shooting required for the film, the producers and crew decided to shoot using the digital Red One 4K camera. Cinematographer Trent Opaloch used nine digital Red Ones owned by Peter Jackson for primary filming.[35] According to HD Magazine, District 9 was shot on RED One cameras using build 15, Cooke S4 primes and Angenieux zooms. The documentary-style and CCTV-style cam footage was shot on the Sony EX1/EX3 XDCAM-HD. Additionally, the post-production team was warned that the most RED Camera footage they could handle a day was about an hour and a half. When that got to five hours a day additional resources were brought in, and 120 terabytes of data was filled.[36]

### Creative background

[edit]

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District 9 is essentially an expanded version of director Neill Blomkamp's 2005 short film Alive in Joburg. It narrates the conflict between aliens and local residents in Johannesburg (referred to as Joburg). Sharlto Copley, who starred in Alive in Joburg, also became the lead actor in District 9.

During the same period, Peter Jackson was planning to produce a film adaptation of the Xbox video game Halo and had chosen Neill Blomkamp as the director. However, due to the interests of major corporations,[who?] the project was indefinitely shelved. Believing in Blomkamp's talent, Peter Jackson decided to fund a new project, investing $30 million dollars for Blomkamp to direct a film of his own choosing. This led to the creation of District 9.[citation needed]

### Content mapping

[edit]

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The alien settlement depicted in the film was actually shot in an African slum, lending a gritty realism to the setting. Except for the main characters' dwelling and the alien protagonist Christopher's hut, which were temporarily constructed, all the slum shacks were real locations. The depiction of aliens dismembering wild beasts and their fondness for cat food draws a parallel to the desperate living conditions in slums, where inhabitants often rely on carrion or cat food for sustenance.

The idea of aliens eating cat food was inspired by a crew member who used cat food as bait for shrimp during the film's production. Additionally, the narrative of the aliens' relocation in the film mirrors a real event: the demolition of a Johannesburg slum and the subsequent forced relocation of its residents to a government-built settlement area.

This approach in the movie not only adds a layer of authenticity but also serves as a powerful metaphor for the socio-economic issues faced by marginalized communities.[citation needed]

### Visual effects

[edit]

The aliens in District 9 were designed by Weta Workshop, and the design was executed by Image Engine.[citation needed]

Blomkamp wanted the aliens to maintain both humane and barbaric features in the design of the creatures. According to Terri Tatchell, the director's writing partner, "They are not appealing, they are not cute, and they don't tug at our heartstrings. He went for a scary, hard, warrior-looking alien, which is much more of a challenge."[37] The look of the alien, with its exoskeleton-crustacean hybrid and crab-like shells, was meant to initially evoke a sense of disgust from viewers but as the story progresses, the audience was meant to sympathize with these creatures who had such human-like emotions and characteristics. Blomkamp established criteria for the design of the aliens. He wanted the species to be insect-like but also bipedal. The director wanted the audience to relate to the aliens and said of the restriction on the creature design, "Unfortunately, they had to be human-esque because our psychology doesn't allow us to really empathize with something unless it has a face and an anthropomorphic shape. Like if you see something that's four-legged, you think it's a dog; that's just how we're wired ... If you make a film about an alien force, which is the oppressor or aggressor, and you don't want to empathize with them, you can go to town. So creatively that's what I wanted to do but story-wise, I just couldn't."[38]

Blomkamp originally sought to have Weta Digital design the creatures, but the company was busy with effects for Avatar. The director then decided to choose a Vancouver-based effects company because he anticipated making films there in the future and because British Columbia offered a tax credit. Blomkamp met with Image Engine and considered them "a bit of a gamble" since the company had not pursued a project as large as a feature film.[28] Aside from the aliens appearing on the operating table in the medical lab, all of them were created using CGI visual effects.[39]

Weta Digital designed the 21⁄2-kilometer (1½ mile) diameter mothership[40] and the drop ship, while the exo-suit and the little pets were designed by The Embassy Visual Effects. Zoic Studios performed overflow 2D work.[28] On-set live special effects were created by MXFX.[41] Some of the software used for the visual effects were Autodesk Softimage.[42]

### Music

[edit]

Main article: District 9 (soundtrack)

The music for District 9 was scored by Canadian composer Clinton Shorter, who spent three weeks preparing for the film. Director Neill Blomkamp wanted a "raw and dark" score, but one that maintained its South African roots. This was a challenge for Shorter, who found much of the South African music he worked with to be optimistic and joyful. Unable to get the African drums to sound dark and heavy, Shorter used a combination of taiko drums and synthesized instruments for the desired effects, with the core African elements of the score conveyed in the vocals and smaller percussion.[43] Both the score and soundtrack feature music and vocals from Kwaito artists.

## Release

[edit]

District 9 held its world premiere in 23 July 2009 at the Reading Gaslamp 15 at San Diego Comic-Con, with Copley, Blomkamp and Jackson in attendance.[44][45] It was released by TriStar Pictures on 14 August 2009.

### Marketing

[edit]

Sony Pictures launched a "Humans Only" marketing campaign to promote District 9. Sony's marketing team designed its promotional material to emulate the segregational billboards that appear throughout the film.[38] Billboards, banners, posters, and stickers were thus designed with the theme in mind, and the material was spread across public places such as bus stops in various cities, including "humans only" signs in certain locations and providing toll-free numbers to report "non-human" activity.[46][47] This marketing strategy was designed to provoke reactions in its target audience (namely, sci-fi fans and people concerned with discrimination), hence the use of obviously fake segregational propaganda.[48] According to Dwight Caines, Sony's president of digital marketing, an estimated 33,000 phone calls were made to the toll-free numbers during a two-week period with 2,500 of them leaving voicemails with reports of alien sightings.[49] Promotional material was also presented at the 2008 San Diego Comic-Con, advertising the website D-9.com,[50] which had an application presented by the fictional Multi-National United (MNU). The website had a local alert system for Johannesburg (the film's setting), news feeds, behavior recommendations, and rules and regulations. Other viral websites for the film were also launched, including an MNU website with a countdown timer for the film's release,[51] an anti-MNU blog run by fictional alien character Christopher Johnson,[52] and an MNU-sponsored educational website.[53][54] An online game for District 9 has also been made where players can choose to be a human or an alien. Humans are MNU agents on patrol trying to arrest or kill aliens. Aliens try to avoid capture from MNU agents whilst searching for alien canisters.[55] This digital approach to marketing follows a rising trend among digital natives who develop marketing trends and techniques which are appropriate to the digital age, and is cost-efficient due to its reliance on social media and communications. This breaking down and circumvention of existing marketing structures follows postmodernist theory in cinema.[48][56]

In July of 2010 collectible and effects company Wētā Workshop (which also did extensive work on the actual film) released a limited edition sculpture of Christopher Johnson and his son.[57]

According to the American Humane Association, the film displays an unauthorized "no animals were harmed" end credit, which is a registered trademark of the group.[58]

### Home media

[edit]

The Blu-ray Disc and region 1 code widescreen edition of District 9 as well as the 2-disc special-edition version on DVD was released on 22 December 2009 by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. The DVD and Blu-ray Disc includes the documentary "The Alien Agenda: A Filmmaker's Log" and the special features "Metamorphosis: The Transformation of Wikus", "Innovation: Acting and Improvisation", "Conception and Design: Creating the World of District 9", and "Alien Generation: Visual Effects".[59]

The demo for the video game God of War III featured in the 2009 Electronic Entertainment Expo is also included with the Blu-ray release of District 9 playable on the Sony PlayStation 3.[60][61]

District 9 was released on Ultra HD Blu-ray on 13 October 2020.[62]

## Reception

[edit]

### Box office

[edit]

District 9 grossed US$115.6 million from the United States and Canada, with a worldwide total of $210,819,611, against a production budget of US$30 million.[3]

It opened in 3,048 theatres in Canada and the United States on 14 August 2009, and the film ranked first at the weekend box office with an opening gross of US$37.4 million. Among comparable science fiction films in the past, its opening attendance was slightly less than the 2008 film Cloverfield and the 1997 film Starship Troopers. The audience demographic for District 9 was 64 percent male and 57 percent people 25 years or older.[46] The film stood out as a summer film that generated strong business despite little-known casting.[63] Its opening success was attributed to the studio's unusual marketing campaign. In the film's second weekend, it dropped 49% in revenue while competing against the opening film Inglourious Basterds for the male audience, as Sony Pictures attributed the "good hold" to District 9's strong playability.[64]

The film enjoyed similar success in the UK with an opening gross of £2,288,378 showing at 447 cinemas.[65]

### Critical response

[edit]

Rotten Tomatoes gives District 9 an approval rating of 90% based on 314 reviews, with an average rating of 7.80/10. The website's consensus states, "Technically brilliant and emotionally wrenching, District 9 has action, imagination, and all the elements of a thoroughly entertaining science-fiction classic."[66] On Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the film has a score of 81 based on 36 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[67] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale.[68]

Sara Vilkomerson of The New York Observer wrote, "District 9 is the most exciting science fiction movie to come along in ages; definitely the most thrilling film of the summer; and quite possibly the best film I've seen all year."[69] Christy Lemire from the Associated Press was impressed by the plot and thematic content, claiming that "District 9 has the aesthetic trappings of science fiction but it's really more of a character drama, an examination of how a man responds when he's forced to confront his identity during extraordinary circumstances."[70] Entertainment Weekly's Lisa Schwarzbaum described it as "... madly original, cheekily political, [and] altogether exciting..."[71]

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film three stars out of four and praised it for "giving us aliens to remind us not everyone who comes in a spaceship needs to be angelic, octopod or stainless steel", but complained that "the third act is disappointing, involving standard shoot-out action. No attempt is made to resolve the situation, and if that's a happy ending, I've seen happier. Despite its creativity, the film remains space opera and avoids the higher realms of science-fiction."[72] Josh Tyler of Cinema Blend felt the film was unique in interpretation and execution, but considered it to be "a knockoff" of the 1988 film Alien Nation.[73]

IGN listed District 9 at No. 24 on a list of the Top 25 Sci-Fi Films of All Time.[74]

In 2025, it was one of the films voted for the "Readers' Choice" edition of The New York Times' list of "The 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century," finishing at number 320.[75]

### Criticism about representation of Nigerians

[edit]

Nigeria's Information Minister Dora Akunyili asked movie cinemas around the country to either ban the film or edit out specific references to the country because of the film's negative depiction of the Nigerian characters as criminals and cannibals. Letters of complaint were sent to the producer and distributor of the film demanding an apology. She also said the gang leader Obesandjo is almost identical in spelling and pronunciation to the surname of former president Olusegun Obasanjo.[76] The film was later banned in Nigeria; the Nigerian Film and Video Censors Board was asked to prevent cinemas from showing the film and also to confiscate it.[77]

Hakeem Kae-Kazim, a Nigerian-born British actor, also criticised the portrayal of Nigerians in the film,[78] telling the Beeld (an Afrikaans-language daily newspaper): "Africa is a beautiful place and the problems it does have can not be shown by such a small group of people."[This quote needs a citation]

However, the Malawian actor Eugene Khumbanyiwa, who played Obesandjo, has stated that the Nigerians in the cast of District 9 were not perturbed by the portrayal of Nigerians in the film, and that the film should not be taken literally: "It's a story, you know. It's not like Nigerians do eat aliens. Aliens don't even exist in the first place."[79]

Teju Cole, a Nigerian-American writer, has commented that the "one-dimensionality of the Nigerian characters is striking," even when taking into account that District 9 is meant to be a fable. He suggests two possible explanations for Blomkamp's narrative choice: first, that it is meant to reflect anti-foreigner sentiment within South Africa, or second, that it simply represents an oversight on Blomkamp's part.[80]

In 2013, the film was one of several discussed by David Sirota in Salon.com in an article concerning white savior narratives in film.[81]

Alexandra Heller Nicholas discusses Wikus's self-identity in District 9 as problematic due to him being a white man and the hero of the film. Nicholas argues that a white saviour "disempowers the film's allegory to apartheid that comments on the corruption of the South African government" as well as the discrimination black South Africans dealt with during and post-apartheid. Making Wikus the "white savior" backtracks from the main message of District 9 which is to show the audience the detrimental effects "of colonialism brought by the Western world". Another point Nicholas makes is that District 9 is a "stereotypical White Saviour film". She states that the plot is about a white man working for the government, who has roots "in South Africa's apartheid culture", involuntarily joining the "victims of apartheid". In this case, instead of black people, it's Prawns.[82]

It has been argued[83] that Wikus's grotesque transformation is indicative of the fact that "While biological discourses of racial subhumanity might have been expunged from public knowledges in the postapartheid nation, contemporary South Africa continues to be structured according to the binary that undergirds such narratives."[84]

### Accolades

[edit]

Main article: List of accolades received by District 9

District 9 was named one of the top 10 independent films of 2009 by the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures. The film also won The Ray Bradbury Nebula Award for Outstanding Dramatic Presentation. The film received four Academy Awards nominations for: Best Motion Picture of the Year (Peter Jackson and Carolynne Cunningham), Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay (Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell), Best Achievement in Film Editing (Julian Clarke) and Best Achievement in Visual Effects (Dan Kaufman, Peter Muyzers, Robert Habros and Matt Aitken); seven British Academy Film Awards nominations: Best Cinematography (Trent Opaloch), Best Screenplay – Adapted (Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell), Best Editing (Julian Clarke), Best Production Design (Philip Ivey, Guy Potgieter), Best Sound (Brent Burge, Chris Ward, Dave Whitehead, Michael Hedges and Ken Saville), Best Special Visual Effects (Dan Kaufman, Peter Muyzers, Robert Habros and Matt Aitken) and Best Director (Neill Blomkamp); five Broadcast Film Critics Association nominations: Best Makeup (Won), Best Screenplay, Adapted (Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell), Best Sound, Best Visual Effects and Best Action Movie; and one Golden Globe nomination: Best Screenplay – Motion Picture (Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell).[85]

It is the fifth TriStar Pictures film ever nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards (the previous four were As Good as It Gets, Jerry Maguire, Bugsy and Places in the Heart). It won the 2009 Bradbury Award from the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America.[86]

## Future

[edit]

On 1 August 2009, two weeks before District 9 was released to cinemas, Neill Blomkamp hinted that he intended to make a sequel if the film was successful enough. During an interview on the Rude Awakening 94.7 Highveld Stereo breakfast radio show, he alluded to it, saying "There probably will be." Nevertheless, he revealed that his next project is unrelated to the District 9 universe.[87] In an interview with Rotten Tomatoes, Blomkamp stated that he was "totally" hoping for a follow-up: "I haven't thought of a story yet but if people want to see another one, I'd love to do it."[88] Blomkamp has posed the possibility of the next movie in the series being a prequel.[89] In an interview with Empire magazine posted on 28 April 2010, Sharlto Copley suggested that a follow-up, while very likely, would be about two years away, given his and Neill Blomkamp's current commitments.[90]

In an interview with IGN in June 2013, Blomkamp said, "I really want to make a District 9 sequel. I genuinely do. The problem is I have a bunch of ideas and stuff that I want to make. I'm relatively new to this—I'm about to make my third film, and now the pattern that I'm starting to realise is very true is that you lock yourself into a film beyond the film you're currently working on. But it just doesn't work for me." Referring to a potential sequel, Blomkamp said "[he] want[s] to make District 10 at some point."[91]

On 26 February 2021, Neill Blomkamp revealed on his official Twitter that development was moving ahead on a script for a sequel, titled District 10, with Sharlto Copley and Terri Tatchell co-writing the screenplay with him.[92]

On 19 August 2022, Sharlto Copley said in an interview that District 10 was still in discussions; that both he and Blomkamp had written drafts for it, and that the film would probably have a chance once Blomkamp was done shooting Gran Turismo.[93]

In August 2023, Blomkamp was asked about a District 9 sequel while promoting Gran Turismo and hinted at the project being shelved indefinitely. "I don't know if it's getting made or not," Blomkamp told Brian Davids of The Hollywood Reporter. "I don't know if I even want to make that right now, but at some point down the line, it'll probably get made."[94]

## See also

[edit]

* List of films featuring powered exoskeletons
* Casspir
* Parktown prawn

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ Despite the film being based on the short film, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognizing the film as an adaptation of said short, the film itself never mentions being based on it.

## References

[edit]

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## External links

[edit]

* Official website
* District 9 at IMDb
* District 9 at the TCM Movie Database
* District 9 at Rotten Tomatoes
* District 9 at Metacritic
* District 9 at Box Office Mojo

* v
* t
* e

Greater Johannesburg

Natural environment

* Highveld

| Geology|

* Kaapvaal Craton
* Transvaal Supergroup
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* Witwatersrand Basin
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|

Topography|

* Witwatersrand
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Rivers and
wetlands|

| Vaal-Orange basin|

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|

Limpopo basin|

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Climate|

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Cradle of
Humankind|

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|

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Southern
suburbs and
environs|

* Aeroton
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* Zola

East Rand|

* Bapsfontein
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* Primrose
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* Reiger Park
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* Spes Bona
* Springs
* Sunningdale
* Sunningdale Ridge
* Sydenham
* Talboton
* Thembisa
* Thokoza
* Tsakane
* Vosloorus
* Wanderers View
* Wattville

West Rand|

* Azaadville
* Bekkersdal
* Blyvooruitzicht
* Boikarabelo
* Bosmont
* Carletonville
* Claremont
* Constantia Kloof
* Coronationville
* Denver
* Driefontein
* East Driefontein
* Elandsrand
* Florida
* Florida Glen
* Florida Hills
* Fochville
* Hekpoort
* Kagiso
* Khutsong
* Krugersdorp
* Lindley
* Magaliesburg
* Mohlakeng
* Muldersdrift
* Munsieville
* Oberholzer
* Randfontein
* Rietvallei
* Roodepoort
* Sophiatown
* Venterspos
* Weltevredenpark
* Welverdiend
* West Driefontein
* Westdene
* Westonaria
* Zuurbekom

Cityscape

* Constitution Hill
* Beyers Naudé Square
* Fordsburg Square
* Gandhi Square
* Mary Fitzgerald Square
* Walter Sisulu Square

* 7th Street
* Commissioner Street
* Munro Drive

* Beyers Naudé Drive
* Jan Smuts Avenue
* Louis Botha Avenue
* Malibongwe Drive
* Metropolitan routes
* M1
* M2
* Provincial routes
* R21
* R24
* R25
* R29
* R41
* R55
* R82
* R101
* R511
* R512
* R553
* R562
* R564
* Johannesburg Ring Road
* N1
* Western Bypass
* N3
* Eastern Bypass
* N12
* Southern Bypass
* N17

| Landmarks|

* Tallest buildings

| Public art|

* Fire Walker
* Flame of Democracy
* Nelson Mandela Mural
* Orlando Power Station cooling towers

| Statues|

* Mahatma Gandhi
* Nelson Mandela

|

Civic
buildings|

* Johannesburg City Hall
* Johannesburg Central Police Station

Office
buildings|

* 11 Diagonal Street
* Chamber of Mines Building
* Chancellor House
* Consolidated Building
* Corner House
* Corona Lodge
* Cuthberts Building
* Eskom Centre
* Johannesburg Trades Hall
* Kimberley House
* Logistics House
* London House
* Luthuli House
* Markham Building
* Megawatt Park
* Natal Bank Building
* National Bank Building
* Shell House
* Standard Bank Building
* Victory House

| Skyscrapers|

* Absa Tower
* Carlton Centre
* Carlton Hotel
* Exchange Square
* Hekro Towers
* Johannesburg Sun Hotel
* Kine Centre
* The Leonardo
* Marble Towers
* Mariston Hotel
* Michelangelo Towers
* Radiopark
* Schlesinger Building
* Southern Life Centre
* Standard Bank Centre
* Trust Bank Building
* UCS Building

|

Residential
buildings|

* Ansteys Building
* Arop House
* Astor Mansions
* Beacon Royal
* Circle Court
* Dorkay House
* Houghton Heights
* Kingsway Mansions
* Lauriston Court
* Manners Mansions
* Radoma Court

| Skyscrapers|

* 120 End Street
* Highpoint Hillbrow
* Ponte City
* Tygerberg Building

|

Structures|

* Brixton Tower
* Hillbrow Tower
* Nelson Mandela Bridge
* Grayston Pedestrian and Cycle Bridge

Urban planning|

* Alexandra Renewal Project

Heritage conservation|

* Johannesburg Heritage Foundation

Government

| National government|

| Courts|

* Constitutional Court of South Africa
* South Gauteng High Court
* Labour Court
* Labour Appeal Court

|

Chapter nine institutions|

* Commission for Gender Equality
* CRL Rights Commission
* Human Rights Commission

Provincial government|

* Gauteng Provincial Legislature
* Executive Council of Gauteng

Municipalities|

* City of Johannesburg
* Seat: Johannesburg
* Mayor: Dada Morero
* Elections
* Flag
* Coat of arms
* City of Ekurhuleni
* Seat: Germiston
* Mayor: Nkosindiphile Xhakaza
* Elections
* West Rand
* Merafong
* Seat: Carletonville
* Mogale
* Seat: Krugersdorp
* Rand West
* Seat: Randfontein

African Union|

* Pan-African Parliament
* Bureau
* Secretariat
* NEPAD Secretariat

Politics

| Governing parties|

* Johannesburg: ANC
* Ekurhuleni: ANC
* West Rand: ANC
* Merafong: ANC
* Mogale: ATM
* Rand West: ANC

|

Political organisations
and parties based in
Greater Johannesburg|

| Political parties|

* ActionSA
* African Christian Democratic Party
* African National Congress
* Veteran's League
* Women's League
* Youth League
* African People's Convention
* Agang
* Azanian People's Organisation
* Capitalist Party
* Congress of the People
* Dagga Party
* Economic Freedom Fighters
* Pan Africanist Congress
* South African Communist Party
* Socialist Revolutionary Workers Party
* Workers and Socialist Party

|

Trade unions|

* COSATU
* AFADWU
* CEPPWAWU
* CWU
* NEHAWU
* NUM
* POPCRU
* SAAPAWU
* SACCAWU
* SADNU
* SADTU
* SAFPU
* SAMWU
* SASAWU
* SASBO
* SATAWU
* FEDUSA
* UASA
* NACTU
* SAFTU
* NUMSA

Other political
organisations|

* Afrikanerbond
* Ahmed Kathrada Foundation
* Civicus
* COSAS
* Dagga Couple
* Earthlife Africa
* Free Market Foundation
* Helen Suzman Foundation
* Jacob Zuma Foundation
* Keep Left
* Landless People's Movement
* OUTA
* PASMA
* SASCO
* South African Institute of Race Relations
* South African Zionist Federation
* Tripartite Alliance
* Zabalaza Anarchist Communist Front

History

* Timeline
* Kweneng' Ruins
* Tlokwe Ruins
* Witwatersrand Gold Rush
* Mineral Revolution
* Transvaal gold fields
* Randlords
* Uitlanders
* Ferreira's Camp
* Second Boer War

| Fortifications|

* Johannesburg Fort
* Blockhouses

|

Monuments
and memorials|

* Anglo-Boer War Memorial
* Chris Hani Memorial
* Constitution Hill
* Hector Pieterson Memorial
* Indian Army Memorial
* Scottish Horse War Memorial
* Walter Sisulu Square

Cemeteries|

* Avalon Cemetery
* Juliwe Cemetery
* Westpark Cemetery

Historical
sites|

* Bantu Men's Social Centre
* Kirchoff's Building
* Langlaagte Stamp Mill
* OK Bazaars
* Rand Water Board Building
* Red Square
* Rissik Street Post Office
* Shlom Native Eating House
* Union Observatory

| Houses|

* 36 Houghton Drive
* David Webster House
* Dr Xuma House
* Endstead
* House Brunton
* House Hains
* James Mpanza House
* Kholvad House
* Lindfield House
* Mandela House
* Parktown mansions
* Villa Arcadia
* Pullinger Kop
* Rahima Moosa House
* Satyagraha House
* Tutu House
* Villa d'Este

|

Historical
companies and
organisations|

| Companies|

* Bosasa
* Deneys Reitz
* Edcon
* Lema
* Mandela and Tambo
* Simmer and Jack
* VBS Mutual Bank

|

Political
organisations|

* Anti-Privatisation Forum
* Black Sash
* Democratic Left Front
* Gay and Lesbian Organization of Witwatersrand
* Industrial Workers of the World
* MK Military Veterans' Association
* Reform Committee
* Socialist Party of Azania

Other organisations|

* Witwatersrand Native Labour Association

Events|

* Jameson Raid
* Braamfontein explosion
* Battle of Doornkop
* Battle of Witpoort
* Rand Rebellion
* Empire Exhibition
* Schlesinger African Air Race
* 1946 African Mine Workers' Union strike
* Sophiatown forced removals
* Congress of the People
* Freedom Charter
* Treason Trial
* 1957 Alexandra bus boycott
* Soweto uprising
* Concert in the Park
* Westdene dam disaster
* Eerste Alternatiewe Afrikaanse Rockkonsert
* Storming of the Kempton Park World Trade Centre
* Shell House massacre
* Ellis Park Stadium disaster
* Bredell land occupation
* World Summit on Sustainable Development
* Johannesburg Declaration
* 2002 Soweto bombings
* Jacob Zuma rape trial
* Live 8 concert
* Live Earth concert
* Miss World 2008
* Miss World 2009
* Occupy Johannesburg
* Murder of Mido Macia
* Death and state memorial service of Nelson Mandela
* 2015 train crash
* #FeesMustFall
* Life Esidimeni scandal
* 10th BRICS summit
* Zondo Commission
* 2019 riots
* Shooting of Nathaniel Julies
* Zuma riots
* Murder of Babita Deokaran
* 2022 Soweto shooting
* Boksburg explosion
* 2023 Boksburg gas leak
* 15th BRICS summit
* 2023 building fire

Culture

| Cultural heritage|

* Architecture
* Gumboot dancing
* amaKota
* Kwaito

|

Performance art|

* Joburg Ballet

| Musical ensembles|

* Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra
* Johannesburg Youth Orchestra
* Soweto Gospel Choir
* Soweto String Quartet

|

Theatres|

* Alexander Theatre
* Alhambra Theatre
* Johannesburg Civic Theatre
* Market Theatre
* Wits Theatre

Events and festivals|

* Abantu Book Festival
* Encounters South African International Documentary Festival
* Joburg Art Fair
* In the City
* Johannesburg International Motor Show
* Johannesburg Pride
* Jozi Book Fair
* Naledi Theatre Awards
* Out In Africa South African Gay and Lesbian Film Festival
* RAMFest
* Rand Show
* South Africa's Children's Book Fair
* Transforming Stories International Christian Film Festival
* Ultra South Africa

Museums and art
galleries|

* Apartheid Museum
* Constitution Hill Museum
* Fietas Museum
* Gold Reef City
* Goodman Gallery
* Hector Pieterson Museum
* James Hall Transport Museum
* Joburg Contemporary Art Foundation
* Johannesburg Art Gallery
* Johannesburg Holocaust and Genocide Centre
* South African Airways Museum
* Mandela House
* Market Photo Workshop
* Maropeng
* Military History Museum
* Museum Africa
* Satyagraha House
* Workers' Museum

| Defunct|

* SAB World of Beer
* South African National Railway And Steam Museum

|

Clubs and societies|

* Afrikaanse Taal- en Kultuurvereniging
* Automobile Association
* Nippon Club
* Rand Club
* SAA Museum Society
* South African Radio League
* Southern African Vexillological Association

Religion

* SACC
* Anglican
* Diocese of Johannesburg
* Diocese of the Highveld
* Diocese of Christ the King
* Catholic
* Archdiocese of Johannesburg
* Knights of Da Gama
* Protestant
* Baptist Union
* Presbytery of Egoli
* Jewish
* Union of Orthodox Synagogues
* Johannesburg Beth Din
* Ohr Somayach
* SAUPJ
* Islamic
* Jamiatul Ulama

| Places of
worship|

| Churches|

| Anglican|

* Cathedral Church of Saint Mary the Virgin
* Cathedral Church of Saint Dunstan
* St Aidan's Anglican Church
* St Boniface Church
* St Mary's Anglican Church
* St Michael and All Angels' Anglican Church

|

Baptist|

* Troyeville Baptist Church

Calvinist|

* Brixton Reformed Church
* Congregational Church, Turffontein
* Fordsburg Reformed Church
* Johanesburg East Reformed Church
* Johannesburg North Reformed Church
* Johannesburg Reformed Church
* Johannesburg Reformed Church (GKSA)
* Langlaagte Reformed Church
* Linden Reformed Church
* Parkhurst Reformed Church
* Turffontein Reformed Church

Catholic|

* Cathedral of Christ the King
* Holy Trinity Catholic Church
* Regina Mundi Catholic Church

| Maronite|

* Shrine of Our Lady of the Cedars

|

Greek
Orthodox|

* Cathedral of Saints Constantine and Helen

Latter-day
Saints|

* Johannesburg South Africa Temple

Lutheran|

* Friedenskirche

Synagogues|

| Orthodox|

* Chassidim Shul
* Doornfontein Synagogue
* Great Synagogue
* Oxford Shul

| Historical|

* President Street Synagogue

|

Progressive|

* Beit Emanuel Progressive Synagogue
* Temple Israel

Mosques|

* Jumah Mosque
* Nizamiye Mosque

Hindu temples|

* Madhya Kailash Shiva Temple

Scientology centres|

* Castle Kyalami

Media

* South African National Editors' Forum
* Southern African Music Rights Organisation
* AmaBhungane

| Mass media|

| Magazines|

* African Communist
* Drum
* Financial Mail
* Mining Weekly
* Music Industry Online
* Nomad Africa Magazine
* SA Flyer

| Defunct|

* Die Arbeider en Arm Boer
* Style
* Top 40 Music Magazine

|

Newspapers|

* Caxton local newspapers (various)
* Beeld
* Business Day
* The Citizen
* City Press
* Daily Maverick
* Daily Sun
* Jewish Report
* Mail & Guardian
* Mayihlome News
* Rapport
* The South African
* The Sowetan
* The Star
* The Sunday Independent
* Sunday Times
* TimesLIVE
* Wits Vuvuzela

| Defunct|

* New Age
* The New Age
* The World

|

Radio stations|

* 5FM
* 702
* 947
* ArrowLine Chinese Radio
* Boervolk Radio
* ChaiFM
* Channel Africa
* Ekurhuleni FM
* Hot 1027
* Jozi FM
* Kasie FM
* Kaya FM
* Metro FM
* Munghana Lonene FM
* Power FM
* Radio 2000
* Radio Sonder Grense
* Rock FM 91.9
* SAfm
* UJFM
* YFM

Television channels|

* CNBC Africa
* eNCA
* M-Net
* Me
* SABC 1
* SABC 2
* SABC 3
* SABC Children
* SABC Education
* SABC News
* SABC Sport
* Soweto TV

| Defunct|

* M-Net Series

|

Film studios|

* Film Resource Unit
* Quizzical Pictures

| Defunct|

* Killarney Film Studios

|

Record labels|

* Ambitiouz Entertainment
* CCP Records
* Family Tree Records
* Gallo Records
* Kalawa Jazmee Records

Game studios|

* Celestial Games

Cultural references|

* District 9
* Egoli: Place of Gold
* "Gimme Hope Jo'anna"
* Johannesburg Festival Overture
* The Real Housewives of Johannesburg
* Sarafina!
* "Soweto Blues"
* Welcome to Our Hillbrow
* Zoo City

Economy

* Johannesburg Stock Exchange
* AltX
* Safex
* companies traded
* A2X Markets
* Brenthurst Foundation

| Companies|

* v
* t
* e

Companies based in Greater Johannesburg

Diversified
conglomerates|

* Aveng
* Barloworld
* Bidvest
* Chancellor House
* Famous Brands

Airlines|

* Aerolift
* Airlink
* Cargo
* CemAir
* Egoli Air
* Federal Air
* Global Aviation
* National Airways
* Norse Air
* Phoebus Apollo Aviation
* SAA
* Safair
* FlySafair
* Solenta Aviation

| Defunct|

* 1time
* African International Airways
* AirQuarius Aviation
* Avia
* Comair
* Command Airways
* Executive Aerospace
* Fly Blue Crane
* Imperial Air Cargo
* Interair South Africa
* Interlink Airlines
* kulula.com
* Mango
* Nationwide Airlines
* Rossair Executive Air Charter
* Rovos Air
* Skywise
* South African Express

|

Construction
and engineering|

* Concor
* Murray & Roberts

Energy|

* DLO Energy Resources
* Total South Africa

Financial

* Absa Group
* Alexforbes
* Discovery
* Evolution Group
* Hollard Group
* Investec
* Liberty Holdings
* Livestock Wealth
* MiWay Insurance
* Lesaka Technologies
* Old Mutual
* RMB Holdings
* RMI Holdings
* STANLIB
* Venmyn Rand

| Banks|

* Absa Bank
* Access Bank South Africa
* African Alliance Investment Bank
* African Bank
* Bank Zero
* Bidvest Bank
* DBSA
* First National Bank
* FirstRand Bank
* Imperial Bank South Africa
* Mercantile Bank
* Nedbank
* Rand Merchant Bank
* Sasfin Bank
* Stanchart South Africa
* Standard Bank
* TymeBank
* Ubank
* Wizzit
* Defunct
* VBS Mutual Bank

|

Hospitality|

* Southern Sun Hotels
* Sun International
* Tsogo Sun

ICT|

* Afrihost
* BCX
* Cell C
* Datatec
* Dimension Data
* EOH Holdings
* MTN
* Neotel
* OTEL Telecoms
* Rain
* Sybrin
* Teraco Data Environments
* Vodacom
* Defunct
* Internet Solutions
* Luma Arcade
* Vision Software

Legal|

* Bowman Gilfillan
* ENSafrica
* Webber Wentzel
* Werksmans
* Defunct
* Deneys Reitz
* Mandela and Tambo

Manufacturing|

* Adcock Ingram
* AECI
* African Explosives
* All Joy Foods
* Bakers
* Clover Industries
* FEW
* IWC
* Isuzu Trucks South Africa
* Land Systems OMC
* Nampak
* Paramount Group
* PPC
* Premier FMCG
* Rand Refinery
* Rembrandt Group
* Sappi
* Simba
* SkyReach Aircraft
* Sling Aircraft
* South African Breweries
* Tiger Brands
* Truvelo Armoury
* Union Carriage & Wagon
* Defunct
* Basil Green Motors
* New PowerChutes

Media|

* Arena Holdings
* Caxton and CTP Publishers and Printers
* MultiChoice
* Nu Metro Cinemas
* Primedia
* SABC
* StarSat
* Ster-Kinekor

Mining|

* Alexkor
* Asa Resources
* African Rainbow Minerals
* AngloGold Ashanti
* DRDGOLD
* ERPM
* Gold Fields
* Harmony Gold
* Impala Platinum
* JCI
* Metorex
* Northam Platinum
* Sibanye-Stillwater
* Defunct
* Simmer and Jack

Retail and
marketing|

* AutoTrader
* Bidorbuy
* Cadac
* CNA
* The Creative Counsel
* Dis-Chem
* Exclusive Books
* Hyundai South Africa
* Incredible Connection
* Massmart
* Wantitall
* Defunct
* Edcon
* OK Bazaars

Restaurant
franchises|

* Chicken Licken
* Debonairs Pizza
* Mugg & Bean
* Nando's
* Roman's Pizza
* Steers
* Wimpy

Services|

* Netcare
* SA Waste Holdings
* Defunct
* Bosasa

Transport|

* Avis Southern Africa
* Comazar
* PUTCO
* Surtees Rail Group

State-owned
enterprises|

* Airports Company South Africa
* Denel Aeronautics
* Development Bank of Southern Africa
* Eskom
* Rand Water
* South African Broadcasting Corporation
* Sasol
* Sentech
* South African Airways
* Transnet
* Freightdynamics
* Defunct
* Lema

* Companies based in Ekurhuleni
* Companies based in Johannesburg

Professional
associations|

* Gauteng Institute for Architecture
* South African Institute of Chartered Accountants
* South African Institute of Electrical Engineers
* South African Institute of Professional Accountants

Mining|

* Minerals Council South Africa
* Rand Refinery

| Mines|

* Blyvooruitzicht
* Driefontein
* ERPM
* KDC
* Kopanang
* Kusasalethu
* Mintails
* Mponeng
* Old Randfontein
* Randfontein
* South Deep
* TauTona
* West Wits

|

Shopping centres|

* Carlton Centre
* Cresta Mall
* Dobsonville Mall
* Eastgate
* Fourways Mall
* Hyde Park Corner
* Mall of Africa
* Maponya Mall
* Nelson Mandela Square
* Northgate
* Northmead Square
* Oriental City
* Oriental Plaza
* Protea Glen Mall
* Sandton City
* Southgate

Hotels and resorts|

* The Leonardo
* Michelangelo Towers
* Montecasino

Venues|

* Ellis Park Arena
* Gallagher Convention Centre

Restaurants, bars,
clubs and cafés|

* The Bassline
* The Radium

Tourism|

* Gold Reef City

| Cultural villages|

* Ke-Ditselana Cultural Village
* Kwa-Khaya Lendaba Cultural Village
* Lesedi Cultural Village

|

Transport

| Civil aviation|

* South African Civil Aviation Authority

| Airports|

* Grand Central Airport
* Lanseria International Airport
* O. R. Tambo International Airport
* Rand Airport

| Defunct|

* Palmietfontein Airport

|

Road transport|

* Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport
* Johannesburg Roads Agency
* Roads
* Freeways
* e-tolling
* Buses and taxis
* PUTCO
* Trolleybuses

Rail transport|

* Gautrain
* Metrorail Gauteng
* Johannesburg–Durban high speed rail (proposed)
* Trams

| Train stations|

* Johannesburg Park Station
* Marlboro Station
* Midrand Station
* Rhodesfield Station
* Rosebank Station
* Sandton Station

|

Sports

| Sports governing
bodies based in
Greater Johannesburg|

* SASCOC
* Athletics South Africa
* Basketball South Africa
* Bowls South Africa
* Cricket South Africa
* Mind Sports South Africa
* South African Baseball Union
* South African Confederation of Cue Sport
* South African Equestrian Federation
* South African Football Association
* South African Handball Federation
* South African Hockey Association
* South African National Climbing Federation
* South African Sailing
* Squash South Africa
* Volleyball South Africa

|

Teams|

| Soccer|

* Atlie
* Bidvest Wits
* Jomo Cosmos
* JVW
* Kaizer Chiefs
* Lusitano
* Mahlangu Tigers
* Moroka Swallows
* Orlando Pirates
* UJ Ladies
* Wits University
* Yebo Yes United

| Former|

* Germiston Callies
* Giant Blackpool

|

Rugby|

* Golden Lions
* Lions
* Valke
* Jozi Cats

Cricket|

* Central Gauteng Lions
* Easterns
* Easterns Women
* Highveld Lions
* Imperial Lions
* Joburg Super Kings
* Titans

Basketball|

* Egoli Magic
* Jozi Nuggets
* Soweto Panthers
* UJ men's basketball team

Equestrian sports|

* National Horseracing Authority
* South African Lipizzaners

Sports events|

* 1992 Return Test
* 1995 Rugby World Cup
* final
* 2003 Cricket World Cup
* final
* 2010 FIFA World Cup
* final
* Joburg Open
* Joburg Ladies Open
* South African Derby
* South African PGA Championship
* Soweto Derby

Sports venues|

| Stadia and
arenas|

* Alexandra Stadium
* Arthur Block Park Stadium
* Barnard Stadium
* Bidvest Stadium
* Bosman Stadium
* Cecil Payne Stadium
* Dobsonville Stadium
* Ellis Park Arena
* Ellis Park Stadium
* Germiston Stadium
* Huntersfield Stadium
* Johannesburg Stadium
* KwaThema Stadium
* Lenasia Stadium
* Makhulong Stadium
* Mehlareng Stadium
* Modderfontein Stadium
* Mohlakeng Stadium
* Orlando Stadium
* Potgietersrus Rugby Stadium
* Rabie Ridge Stadium
* Rand Stadium
* Randburg Hockey Stadium
* Ruimsig Stadium
* Sinaba Stadium
* Soccer City
* Soweto Cricket Oval
* UJ Stadium
* Union Stadium
* Wanderers Stadium
* Willowmoore Park Stadium

| Defunct|

* Old Wanderers
* PAM Brink Stadium
* WeBuyCars Dome

|

Golf courses|

* Glendower Golf Club
* Randpark Golf Club
* Royal Johannesburg & Kensington Golf Club

Equestrian
venues|

* Turffontein Racecourse

Motorsports
venues|

* Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit

|

Education and research

* GDE
* CIDA
* FOTIM
* Geological Society of South Africa
* Mandela Institute for Development Studies
* SAARF
* South African Institute for Heritage Science and Conservation
* Student Sponsorship Programme South Africa

| Libraries|

* Alexandra Children's Library
* Brenthurst Library
* Buckland Library
* Johannesburg Public Library
* Orlando East Public Library
* Randburg Library
* UJ Libraries
* Wits University Libraries
* Weltevreden Park Library

|

Universities|

| University of Johannesburg|

* Johannesburg Institute for Advanced Study
* UJFM

| Campuses|

* APB Campus
* APK Campus
* Doornfontein Campus
* Soweto Campus

|

Faculties|

* Art, Design and Architecture
* Business and Economics
* Education
* Engineering and the Built Environment
* Health Sciences
* Humanities
* Law
* Science

University of the Witwatersrand|

* Campuses
* Evolutionary Studies Institute
* Global Change Institute
* Industrial and Mining Water Research Unit
* Johannesburg Planetarium
* Philosophical Papers
* Wits Theatre Complex
* Wits Vuvuzela

| Faculties|

* Commerce, Law and Management
* Engineering and the Built Environment
* School of Architecture and Planning
* School of Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering
* School of Civil and Environmental Engineering
* Health Sciences
* Humanities
* Science

|

* CIDA City Campus
* IIE MSA

Other tertiary
institutions|

* AFDA
* Central Johannesburg College
* CityVarsity
* Damelin
* Damelin Correspondence College
* Inscape Design College
* Lyceum College
* Midrand Graduate Institute

| Business schools|

* Gordon Institute of Business Science
* IMM Graduate School
* Independent Institute of Education
* Milpark Business School
* Regenesys Business School

|

Religious institutions|

* Auckland Park Theological Seminary
* Baptist Theological College of Southern Africa
* Kollel Bet Mordechai
* Kollel Yad Shaul
* Lubavitch Yeshiva Gedolah
* St Augustine College
* South African Theological Seminary
* Yeshiva Gedolah

State schools|

* Hoërskool Alberton
* Allen Glen High School
* Athlone Boys' High School
* Barnato Park High School
* Boksburg High School
* Bopasenatla Secondary School
* Bryanston High School
* Hoërskool Dinamika
* Hoërskool Florida
* The Glen High School
* Germiston High School
* Greenside High School
* Hyde Park High School
* Jeppe High School for Boys
* Jeppe High School for Girls
* King Edward VII School
* Hoërskool Marais Viljoen
* Meadowlands Secondary School
* Moletsane High School
* Hoërskool Monument
* Morris Isaacson High School
* Naledi High School
* Northcliff High School
* Orchards Primary School
* Parktown Boys' High School
* Parkview Senior Primary School
* Sandown High School
* Sandringham High School
* Sir John Adamson High School
* Springs Boys' High School
* Thutolore Secondary School
* Hoërskool Voortrekker
* Waverley Girls' High School
* Westbury Secondary School

Private schools|

* Ashton International College
* Auckland Park Academy of Excellence
* Aurora Private School
* Charter College
* Crawford College, Lonehill
* Crawford College, Sandton
* Helpmekaar Kollege
* Holy Family College
* Japari School
* Johannesburg Muslim School
* King David Schools
* Kingsmead College
* Lenasia Muslim School
* Marist Brothers College
* Redhill School
* The Ridge School
* Roedean School
* Sacred Heart College
* St Andrew's School for Girls
* St Barnabas College
* St Benedict's College
* St Catherine's School
* St David's Marist College
* St Dominic's Catholic School for Girls
* St Dunstan's College
* St John's College
* St Martin's School
* St Mary's School
* St Peter's College
* St Stithians College
* Torah Academy School
* Yeshiva College of South Africa
* Yeshiva Maharsha Beis Aharon

Alternative schools|

* African Leadership Academy
* Branson School of Entrepreneurship
* Khanya College
* Michael Mount Waldorf School

International schools|

* American International School
* Deutsche Internationale Schule
* Japanese School
* Lycée Jules Verne

Services

* Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo

| Hospitals|

* Charlotte Maxeke Hospital
* Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital
* Helen Joseph Hospital
* Leratong Hospital
* Milpark Hospital
* Nelson Mandela Children's Hospital
* Pholosong Hospital
* Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital
* Tambo Memorial Hospital

| Historical|

* Imperial Military Hospital, Baragwanath
* Queen Victoria Hospital
* Transvaal Memorial Hospital for Children

|

Water supply
and sanitation|

* Rand Water
* Lesotho Highlands Water Project

| Dams|

* Vaal Dam
* Vaal Barrage

|

Water towers|

* Grand Central Water Tower
* Yeoville Water Tower

Electricity supply|

* Eskom
* City Power
* Kelvin Power Station
* Kibo Gauteng Thermal Power Station (planned)

| Defunct power stations|

* Orlando Power Station
* President Street Power Station

|

Law enforcement and
emergency services|

* Johannesburg Central Police Station
* Metro Police departments
* Johannesburg Emergency Services
* Berea Fire Station
* Ekurhuleni Disaster & Emergency Management Services

Charities and NGOs|

* ActionAid
* Africa's Young Entrepreneurs
* African Parks
* Bigshoes Foundation
* Camp Sizanani
* Children of Fire International
* Global Water Foundation
* LoveLife South Africa
* Nelson Mandela Children's Fund
* Never Ending Gardens
* Nkosi's Haven
* POLAF
* Woman Against Rape

Military units and formations

| Army units|

| Regular|

* 46 South African Brigade
* 21 South African Infantry Battalion
* 35 Engineer Support Regiment
* Sekhukhune Anti-Aircraft Regiment

|

Reserve|

* Andrew Mlangeni Regiment
* Bambatha Rifles
* Johannesburg Light Horse Regiment
* Johannesburg Regiment
* Lenong Regiment
* OR Tambo Regiment
* Rand Light Infantry
* Sandfontein Artillery Regiment
* Solomon Mahlangu Regiment
* iWombe Anti-Aircraft Regiment

SAMHS units|

* 6 Medical Battalion Group

Disbanded units|

| Army|

* Witwatersrand Command
* SA Army Troop Information Unit
* 2 Locating Regiment
* 3 Armoured Personnel Carrier Squadron
* 7 South African Infantry Division
* 15 Reception Depot
* 72 Motorised Brigade
* 73 Motorised Brigade
* Regiment University of the Witwatersrand

| Commandos|

* Alberton
* Atlas
* Benoni
* Boksburg
* Brakpan
* Edenvale
* East Park
* Germiston
* Johannesburg East
* Johannesburg West
* Kempton Park
* Krugersdorp
* Modderfontein
* Nigel
* Randburg
* Roodepoort
* Sandton
* Springs
* Wemmerpan
* West Park
* West Rand

|

Special Forces|

* Hunter Group

SAAF|

* 4 Squadron SAAF
* 10 Squadron SAAF

* Category
* Johannesburg

* v
* t
* e

Peter Jackson

Films directed|

* Bad Taste (1987)
* Meet the Feebles (1989)
* Braindead (1992)
* Heavenly Creatures (1994)
* Forgotten Silver (1995)
* The Frighteners (1996)
* The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
* The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
* The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
* King Kong (2005)
* The Lovely Bones (2009)
* The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
* The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)
* The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)

Documentaries|

* They Shall Not Grow Old (2018)
* The Beatles: Get Back (2021)

Music videos|

* "Now and Then" (2023)

Short films|

* The Valley (1976)
* Crossing the Line (2008)

Produced only|

* Valley of the Stereos (1992)
* Jack Brown Genius (1996, also writer)
* District 9 (2009)
* The Adventures of Tintin (2011)
* West of Memphis (2012)
* Mortal Engines (2018, also writer)

Companies|

* WingNut Films
* Wētā Workshop
* Wētā FX
* Park Road Post

Related|

* Peter Jackson's unrealized projects
* The Lord of the Rings (film series)
* The Hobbit (film series)
* Peter Jackson's interpretation of The Lord of the Rings

* v
* t
* e

Films directed by Neill Blomkamp

* Unrealized projects

Feature films|

* District 9 (2009)
* Elysium (2013)
* Chappie (2015)
* Demonic (2021)
* Gran Turismo (2023)

Short films|

* Alive in Joburg (2005)
* Yellow (2006)
* The Escape (2016)
* Rakka (2017)

Related|

* Oats Studios

Awards for District 9

* v
* t
* e

Blue Ribbon Award for Best Foreign Film

* Sunset Boulevard (1951)
* Monsieur Verdoux (1952)
* Forbidden Games (1953)
* The Wages of Fear (1954)
* East of Eden (1955)
* Gervaise (1956)
* La Strada (1957)
* The Old Man and the Sea (1958)
* 12 Angry Men (1959)
* On the Beach (1960)
* Two Women (1961)
* The Grapes of Wrath (1962)
* Sundays and Cybele (1963)
* Lilies of the Field (1964)
* Mary Poppins (1965)
* A Man and a Woman (1966)
* Lenny (1975)
* Taxi Driver (1976)
* Rocky (1977)
* Conversation Piece (1978)
* The Deer Hunter (1979)
* Kramer vs. Kramer (1980)
* The Tin Drum (1981)
* E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
* Flashdance (1983)
* The Right Stuff (1984)
* Witness (1985)
* The Color Purple (1986)
* The Untouchables (1987)
* Wings of Desire (1988)
* Die Hard (1989)
* Field of Dreams (1990)
* The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
* JFK (1992)
* Jurassic Park (1993)
* Pulp Fiction (1994)
* The Bridges of Madison County (1995)
* Seven (1996)
* Titanic (1997)
* L.A. Confidential (1998)
* Life Is Beautiful (1999)
* Dancer in the Dark (2000)
* Joint Security Area (2001)
* Shaolin Soccer (2002)
* Infernal Affairs (2003)
* Mystic River (2004)
* Million Dollar Baby (2005)
* Flags of Our Fathers (2006)
* Dreamgirls (2007)
* The Dark Knight (2008)
* Gran Torino (2009)
* District 9 (2010)
* Black Swan (2011)
* Les Misérables (2012)
* Gravity (2013)
* Jersey Boys (2014)
* Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
* Rogue One (2016)
* Hidden Figures (2017)
* Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)
* Joker (2019)
* Parasite (2020)
* No Time to Die (2021)
* Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
* The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)
* Oppenheimer (2024)

* v
* t
* e

Nebula Award for Best Script/Ray Bradbury Award

Nebula Award
for Best Script|

* Soylent Green – Stanley R. Greenberg (1973)
* Sleeper – Woody Allen (1974)
* Young Frankenstein – Mel Brooks and Gene Wilder (1975)
* Star Wars – George Lucas (1977)
* The Sixth Sense – M. Night Shyamalan (1999)
* Galaxy Quest – David Howard and Robert Gordon (2000)
* Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon – James Schamus, Kuo Jung Tsai, and Hui-Ling Wang (2001)
* The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring – Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, and Peter Jackson (2002)
* The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers – Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Stephen Sinclair, and Peter Jackson (2003)
* The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King – Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, and Peter Jackson (2004)
* Serenity – Joss Whedon (2005)
* Howl's Moving Castle – Hayao Miyazaki, Cindy Davis Hewitt, and Donald H. Hewitt (2006)
* Pan's Labyrinth – Guillermo del Toro (2007)
* WALL-E – Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon, and Pete Docter (2008)

Ray Bradbury Award
for Outstanding
Dramatic Presentation|

* Terminator 2: Judgment Day – James Cameron (1992)
* Babylon 5 – J. Michael Straczynski (1999)
* 2000X – Tales of the Next Millennia – Yuri Rasovsky and Harlan Ellison (2001)
* Joss Whedon (2008)
* District 9 – Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell (2009)
* Inception – Christopher Nolan (2010)
* Doctor Who: "The Doctor's Wife" – Richard Clark and Neil Gaiman (2011)
* Beasts of the Southern Wild – Benh Zeitlin and Lucy Alibar (2012)
* Gravity – Alfonso Cuarón and Jonás Cuarón (2013)
* Guardians of the Galaxy – James Gunn and Nicole Perlman (2014)
* Mad Max: Fury Road – George Miller, Brendan McCarthy, and Nico Lathouris (2015)
* Arrival – Denis Villeneuve and Eric Heisserer (2016)
* Get Out – Jordan Peele (2017)
* Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse – Phil Lord and Rodney Rothman (2018)
* Good Omens: "Hard Times" – Neil Gaiman (2019)
* The Good Place: "Whenever You're Ready" – Michael Schur (2020)
* WandaVision – Jac Schaeffer and writing staff (2021)
* Everything Everywhere All at Once \- Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (2022)
* Barbie \- Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach (2023)
* Dune: Part Two \- Jon Spaihts and Denis Villeneuve (2024)

* v
* t
* e

Saturn Award for Best International Film

* Dinner for Adele (1979)
* Scanners (1980)
* Quest for Fire (1981)
* Mad Max 2 (1982)
* Pan's Labyrinth (2006)
* Eastern Promises (2007)
* Let the Right One In (2008)
* District 9 (2009)
* Monsters (2010)
* The Skin I Live In (2011)
* Headhunters (2012)
* Big Bad Wolves (2013)
* The Theory of Everything (2014)
* Turbo Kid (2015)
* The Handmaiden (2016)
* Baahubali 2: The Conclusion (2017)
* Burning (2018/19)
* Parasite (2019/20)
* RRR (2021/22)
* Sisu (2022/23)
* Godzilla Minus One (2023/24)

* v
* t
* e

Seiun Award for Best Dramatic Presentation

1970–2000|

* Charly / The Prisoner (1970)
* UFO (1971)
* The Andromeda Strain (1972)
* A Clockwork Orange (1973)
* Soylent Green (1974)
* Space Battleship Yamato (1975)
* Star (1976)
* Solaris (1978)
* Star Wars (1979)
* Alien (1980)
* The Empire Strikes Back (1981)
* Blade Runner (1983)
* The Dark Crystal (1984)
* Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1985)
* Back to the Future (1986)
* Brazil (1987)
* Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honnêamise (1988)
* My Neighbor Totoro (1989)
* Gunbuster (1990)
* Ginga Uchū Odyssey (1991)
* Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1992)
* Mama wa Shōgaku 4 Nensei (1993)
* Jurassic Park (1994)
* Zeiram 2 (1995)
* Gamera: Guardian of the Universe (1996)
* Gamera 2: Attack of Legion (1997)
* Ultraman Tiga (1998)
* Martian Successor Nadesico: The Motion Picture – Prince of Darkness (1999)
* Cowboy Bebop (2000)

2001–present|

* Gunparade March (2001)
* Kamen Rider Kuuga (2002)
* Voices of a Distant Star (2003)
* The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2004)
* Planetes (2005)
* Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger (2006)
* The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2007)
* Dennō Coil (2008)
* Macross Frontier (2009)
* Summer Wars (2010)
* District 9 (2011)
* Puella Magi Madoka Magica (2012)
* Bodacious Space Pirates (2013)
* Pacific Rim (2014)
* Space Battleship Yamato 2199: Odyssey of the Celestial Ark (2015)
* Girls und Panzer der Film (2016)
* Shin Godzilla (2017)
* Kemono Friends (2018)
* SSSS.Gridman (2019)
* Astra Lost in Space (2020)
* Ultraman Z (2021)
* Godzilla Singular Point (2022)
* Shin Ultraman (2023)
* Godzilla Minus One (2024)

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF

National|

* Germany
* United States
* France
* BnF data
* Spain

Other|

* IdRef

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