The first trailer for District 9 director Neill Blomkamp’s highly anticipated sci-fi film Elysium has been released.  The story takes place in 2159 where two classes of people are roughly divided: the wealthy live on a man-made space station called Elysium, while the rest of the humans inhabit an overpopulated and ruined Earth.  The trailer begins by showing us the luxurious world of Elysium before revealing the grungy, desert-like Earth.  Blomkamp looks to have crafted an incredibly detailed and vast sci-fi world here, and the visuals are absolutely stunning.  The action sequences look excellent as well and Damon appears to be kicking all kinds of ass, but most importantly Blomkamp has crafted yet another timely, socially-conscious story that speaks volumes to the current issues facing our world.  A wholly original sci-fi property that asks audiences to think while also providing entertainment value in spades?  Count me wholeheartedly in.

Hit the jump to watch the trailer, and click here for Steve's video blog recap after seeing 10 minutes of footage and interviewing Blomkamp.  The film stars Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, Sharlto Copley, William Fichtner and Diego Luna.  Elysium opens on August 9th.

Via Yahoo!.

Here’s a synopsis for Elysium:

In the year 2159 two classes of people exist: the very wealthy who live on a pristine man-made space station called Elysium, and the rest, who live on an overpopulated, ruined Earth. Secretary Rhodes (Jodie Foster), a hard line government official, will stop at nothing to enforce anti-immigration laws and preserve the luxurious lifestyle of the citizens of Elysium. That doesn’t stop the people of Earth from trying to get in, by any means they can. When unlucky Max (Matt Damon) is backed into a corner, he agrees to take on a daunting mission that if successful will not only save his life, but could bring equality to these polarized worlds.