Actor Dev Patel may return to slums

The Slumdog Millionaire actor Dev Patel's career has begun to rise higher. He is in early talks to star in Neill Blomkamp's new sci-fi thriller Chappie. The 23-year-old actor is close to landing the lead role in the film, which will be the director's next project after his eagerly anticipated Matt Damon-starring flick Elysium.

The details of the film are a secret for now. However, it is believed that the movie is based on one of his own short films called Tetra Vaal, made in 2004. Tetra Vaal is centered around a fake advert for a robotic police force patrolling the slums of South Africa. Chappie will revolve around a ridiculous robot character. If Dev is in the movie, he will be playing the part of a human living in an impoverished town. Sharlto Copley has already been cast as the police robot working in the towns.

Neill Blomkamp is a South African filmmaker who is best known for his 2009 film District 9. Chappie is said to be mix of sci-fi and comedy. To bag the role in Chappie would be another great opportunity for Dev. His debut film Slumdog Millionaire did bring him a lot of fame. Dev began his career in a TV series called Skins in 2007 and he is currently playing the role of Neal Sampat in a series called The Newsroom.

IANS