Dev Patel In Early Talks For Neill Blomkamp’s CHAPPIE

The Slumdog Millionaire star Dev Patel is reportedly in early talks for the lead in Neill Blomkamp‘s sci-fi comedy Chappie.

The British actor could play the human lead opposite Blomkamp’s frequent collaborator, Sharlto Copley, who’s been attached to play a robot for months.

Elysium follow-up Chappie is based on a short South African filmmaker made in 2004, entitled Tetra Vaal, a fake advertisement for a robotic police force patrolling the rundown towns while Patel would play a young man living in one of these impoverished places.

Blomkamp said of the film last year:

It’s like a fundamentally more simple story, a comedy, a heartfelt story, in a science fiction setting. And it’s fucking hilarious, it’s a really cool film. I can say that with confidence… It’s a smaller film, a more esoteric one.

Patel’s roles have been rather few and far between, most notably in The Last Airbender and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. He’s currently a series regular on Aaron Sorkin’s ‘The Newsroom’ (HBO), which returns for its second season on July 14th.

Check out the video for Tetra Vaal below.