The first trailer for Neill Blomkamp’s Chappie has staggered out of the lab, revealing itself to be a more serious creation than the “lighthearted … science-fiction comedy thing” that Blomkamp previously described. Sure, there are a few shots of the robot learning to walk like a gangster and mimicking a Masters Of The Universe cartoon, but those moments are eclipsed by a relatively somber mood, threats from a villainously-mulleted Hugh Jackman, and slow-motion images of Chappie being attacked by humans and bursting into flames. Basically, what you’ve come to expect from the guy who made District 9 and Elysium.
The film stars Sharlto Copley in a motion-capture performance as the titular robot, along with Dev Patel as its inventor. Also appearing are Die Antwoord’s Ninja and Yolandi Visser, playing gangsters who shelter Chappie in a Johannesburg that seems very unaccommodating to artificial intelligence. Notably missing from the trailer is Sigourney Weaver, whose role is still unknown, although she could very well add her own anti-robot sentiment to the proceedings. Chappie hits theaters on March 6, 2015.