‘Rakka’: Sigourney Weaver Stars in Neill Blomkamp’s New Sci-Fi Short

Neill Blomkamp has premiered his new short film “Rakka,” described as “the story of broken humanity following the invasion of a technologically superior alien species.” It’s familiar territory for the filmmaker, who announced himself to the world with “District 9” and was briefly attached to an “Alien” sequel that never materialized.

He ended up working with Sigourney Weaver anyway, as the former Ellen Ripley stars in this new 20-minute sci-fi story. The project comes from Oats Studios, which Blomkamp recently launched as a means of debuting short films for free online — and potentially expanding them to feature length.

“At the end of making ‘Chappie,’ I wanted to try to figure out a different method for making films and expressing myself,” Blomkamp told the Verge about this new venture. “I felt that if I could sell smaller pieces directly to the audience, the sale of those small experimental pieces would keep this machine alive so that it became an ecosystem that was self-sufficient.”

Blomkamp most recently directed “Chappie,” which reunited him with frequent collaborator Sharlto Copley. Watch “Rakka” in its entirety below.