Sony Pictures joins hands with MRC for 'Chappie'

Culver City (California), Aug 15 (IANS) Sony Pictures Entertainment and Media Rights Capital (MRC) have joined hands to co-produce "Chappie", which will be directed by Neill Blomkamp.

"Chappie" tells the story of a robot imbued with artificial intelligence, who is stolen by two local gangsters to use him for their own nefarious purposes.

Blomkamp, known for directing "District 9" and "Elysium", has also co-scripted the film with Terri Tatchell.

The announcement was made by Doug Belgrad, president of Columbia Pictures; and Hannah Minghella, president of production for the studio and MRC.

"We're huge fans of Neill Blomkamp. It's a real thrill to be continuing our relationship with such a visionary and important filmmaker. We love the script he and Terri have written and we're looking forward to working again with our friends at MRC,"Belgrad said in a statement.

Modi Wiczyk, co-CEO of MRC, said: "Neill is an incredibly talented and bold artist and we are proud to continue to support his work. We are looking forward to partnering with the team at Sony on 'Chappie'."

The film will be marketed and distributed worldwide by Sony Pictures that has also released Blomkamp's first feature film, "District 9", which earned $200 million worldwide and got four Oscar nominations, including best picture.