Hugh Jackman joins Neill Blomkamp's next sci-fi movie

The Australian actor has accepted a role in "Chappie," the forthcoming feature from the South African director behind "District 9" and "Elysium."

Hugh Jackman, currently in theaters in "Prisoners," will join Dev Patel ("Slumdog Millionaire") on the set of the feature this winter, according to Deadline.com. Details have yet to surface on which character Jackman will portray.

Neill Blomkamp will once again explore the science-fiction genre, this time to tell the story of how a police robot, the film's title character, falls into the wrong hands. Chappie is stolen by two criminals who plan to make use of him in their illegal activities.

Blomkamp's frequent collaborator Sharlto Copley will provide the voice of Chappie in the film, which is expected to have more humorous overtones than "District 9" or "Elysium." The two villains will be played by Yo-Landi Visser and Ninja, the lead singers of the South African alternative group Die Antwoord.