Impressed with District 9? So was legendary Blade Runner and Tron concept artist Syd Mead. He was so taken with Neill Blomkamp's aliens-in-South Africa movie that he's been hired to design the sets of Blomkamp's next film, Elysium.

Mead is a huge catch for Blomkamp given that the designer doesn't sign on for any old project. Furthermore, details about Elysium are scant at this point, but we do know that it stars Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, and Sharlto Copley and that production will occur in Vancouver and Mexico City this summer and fall. The film should be released around Holiday 2012.

In lieu of more information on Elysium, here's a nifty video of Mead reflecting on the future of design and technology. [Deadline, Mead art via Michael Stoll's Flickr]