District 9 director Neill Blomkamp, who will also helm the forthcoming Alien sequel, has directed a new 13-minute action short for BMW that's sure to raise your heart rate. The Escape stars Clive Owen as a mysterious man hired to complete a mission involving the kidnapping of a human clone (Dakota Fanning) from a Molecular Genetics lab. With the Special Forces hot on their trail, a prolonged and violent chase ensues. But all is not what it seems—this is no ordinary car chase.

The film showcases Blomkamp's deft action movie chops (and BMW's 5-Series Sedan). Nearly 15 years ago, BMW produced a similar series of branded content short films, The Hire, directed by a medley of A-listers, including Ang Lee, Wong Kar-wai, Guy Ritchie, and Alejandro González Iñárritu. That the short films went viral in a pre-YouTube era is a testament to their compelling nature.

In many ways, BMW was a major pioneer for branded content. Today, films commissioned by major brands are omnipresent; some even predict that shorts are the future of commercials. 

short filmNeill Blomkampclive owendakota fanningbranded content
Directing