John Boyega hypes some epic ideas for Attack the Block 2. Before Boyega journeyed to a galaxy far far away for the role of Finn in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, he had his first encounter with cinematic aliens in the highly regarded low-budget action film Attack the Block.
Joe Cornish wrote and directed Boyega’s 2011 debut feature, which followed a gang of teens protecting their South London turf from invasion. The twist was that instead of a rival gang, the invaders were frightening extra-terrestrials with hairy black bodies and glowing blue teeth. The film was officially a disappointment at the box office with just $6.2 million grossed worldwide on a budget of $12 million, but it later became a cult movie. Now ten years after Attack the Block introduced Boyega to the world, the star will return for Attack the Block 2 with Cornish coming back to write and direct.
Cornish no doubt has plenty of great ideas about how to follow up the teens vs. aliens action of Attack the Block. But in case he’s lacking for material, Boyega has a few ideas of his own that he was happy to hype on Instagram. See his postings in the space below:
Boyega’s remark about “our Nigerian aunties from Peckham” of course refers to his birthplace in the Peckham district of London, a neighborhood very similar to the fictionalized one depicted in Attack the Block. In the second posting, Boyega uses the term “mandem” which is slang for a boy’s gang or crew. Though Boyega is a major international star thanks to the Star Wars movies, it’s clear he remains very close in spirit to the place where he grew up as the son of Nigerian parents. Indeed, Boyega’s real life experience being raised in Peckham helped him bring loads of authenticity to his performance as the teenage Moses in Attack the Block.
Obviously Boyega is no longer the teenager he was when the first movie was made, and is now considerably wealthier and more experienced than he was at the time. It will be interesting to see where the character of Moses is in his life in Attack the Block 2, which presumably will take place at least ten years after the events of the first film. It seems certain the aliens from the original movie will be back for the follow up, but it remains to be seen what tweaks or updates Cornish and company may add to the mix to make them even scarier than before. Attack the Block 2 could of course just stick with the first movie’s formula and not make many major changes, but sequels do tend to up the stakes, for better or for worse. Boyega of course has plenty of experience when it comes to starring in sequels that carry big expectations, but the stakes for Attack the Block 2 do feel much lower given the first movie’s status as a cult hit and not a Star Wars-sized box office juggernaut.
