PHOTOS: 30 Groundbreaking Sci-Fi Films

"Elysium is a space station that hovers above Earth that is filled with all of the things that make life worth living," says Blomkamp. "All of the medical help, the technology, the wealth and the standard of living."

Star Matt Damon describes Earth as “a third-world planet,” where overpopulation and a lack of resources plague its citizens. “Everyone is hustling in some way to just get by,” he says, as they look up at the station and imagine how they might get there.

Jodie Foster, who plays a villain in the film, says those with wealth or connections can become citizens of the space station. She also reveals a sympathetic backstory for her character, Secretary Delacourt, saying she was born on the impoverished Earth and remembers how bad things were there.

VIDEO: 'Elysium' Trailer: Robots, Spaceships and Matt Damon

“They’ve created this new habitat, Elysium, to get rid of … terrible pollution, toxicity, overpopulation,” she says. “Her concern is to protect the new utopian habitat they’ve come up with.”

The Columbia/Media Rights Capital film is slated for an Aug. 9 release and also stars Sharlto Copley.