District 9 is a science fiction thriller (Thriller (genre)) film released in 2009, directed by Neill Blomkamp. It was written by Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell, and produced by Peter Jackson and Carolynne Cunningham. The film stars Sharlto Copley, Jason Cope and David James. Copley plays the role of Wikus van de Merwe, an Afrikaner bureaucrat assigned to relocate a race of extraterrestrial creatures unexpectedly stranded on Earth, derogatorily referred to as "prawns", from District 9, a military-guarded slum in Johannesburg, South Africa, to an internment camp outside the city. The movie was nominated for four Academy Awards (82nd Academy Awards) in 2010, including Best Picture (Academy Award for Best Picture), Best Adapted Screenplay (Academy Award for Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay)), Best Visual Effects (Academy Award for Best Visual Effects), and Best Editing (Academy Award for Best Film Editing).

The story, adapted from Alive in Joburg, a 2005 short film directed by Blomkamp and produced by Copley, pivots on the themes of xenophobia and social segregation (social apartheid). The title and premise of District 9 were inspired by events that took place in District Six, Cape Town during the apartheid (South Africa under apartheid) era. The film was produced for $30 million and shot on location in Chiawelo, Soweto, presenting fictional interviews, news footage, and video from surveillance cameras in a part-mock documentary (mockumentary) style format. A viral marketing campaign began in 2008, at the San Diego Comic-Con (San Diego Comic-Con International), while the theatrical trailer appeared in July 2009. Released by TriStar Pictures, the film opened to critical acclaim on August 14, 2009, in North America and earned $37 million in its opening weekend. Many saw the film as a sleeper hit for its relatively unknown cast and low-budget production, while achieving success and popularity during its theatrical run.