Attack The Block Roundup, Including Detailed Synopsis And Sales Art

By Brendon ConnellyFeb. 20, 2010 12:06 pm EST

Coming out of the European Film Market is our first piece of Attack the Block sales art – sampled above but revealed in its entirety and complete with tagline below the break – and an expanded synopsis for Joe Cornish's film, "this year's Shaun of the Dead". There's really not much spoiled by the new outline, but if you're particularly keen to go into this movie knowing as little as possible, you may prefer to stick with the previous, less detailed synopsis, or perhaps just avoid them both outright.

Before we get to the EFM news, though, there's a couple of other tidbits on the film that we haven't yet covered – including the first 'name' casting.

According to the film's IMDB page, Luke Treadaway has been cast in the role of Brewis. My Harry Treadaway love has been well documented on this site before, but I guess now is the time to point out that I think his twin brother Luke is just as superb.

The only other cast member listed so far is one Adam Leese, alumna of both Eastenders and The Bill, not to mention the baffling Rock Rivals.

According to casting calls for the film, Cornish has written roles for a wide spread of ages:

Streetwise boys with genuine London street accents. They must be able to play proper South London street kids on a London council estate. They must have plenty of attitude and witty banter. We are definitely not looking for middle-class kids. White, Playing ages: 12 and under, 13-15 years, 15-17 years.

I think I'm entering into mild spoiler territory to tell you a special children's playground set/location has been commissioned for the film (discovered via Approved Business). Will it rival the best-ever playground scenes seen in The Birds and Police Story 2? Here's hoping.

Now, then, let's have a look at the big synopsis:

Attack The Block is a fast, funny, frightening action adventure movie that pits a teen gang against an invasion of savage alien monsters. It turns a housing estate into a SCI-FI PLAYGROUND. A tower block into a fortress under siege. And weapon wielding teenage thugs into heroes. Think ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13 only with monsters and a tower block. Or LA HAINE crossed with ALIENS. It's inner city versus outer space.

Trainee nurse Sam is walking home to her flat in a scary South London tower block when she's robbed by a gang of masked, hooded youths. She's saved when the gang are distracted by a bright meteorite, which falls from the sky and hits a nearby parked car. Sam flees, just before the gang are attacked by a small alien creature that leaps from the wreckage. The gang chase the creature and kill it, dragging its ghoulish carcass to the top of the block, with they treat as their territory.

While Sam and the police hunt for the gang, a second wave of meteors fall. Confident of victory against such feeble invaders, the gang grab weapons, mount bikes and mopeds, and set out to defend their turf. But this time the creatures are bigger. Much bigger. Savage, shadowy and bestial, they are hunting their fallen comrade and nothing will stand in their way. THE ESTATE IS ABOUT TO BECOME A BATTLEGROUND. And the bunch of no-hope kids who just attacked Sam are about to become her, and the block's, only hope.

La Haine crossed with Aliens? Cult status is assured. Here's the art work in full, courtesy of Twitch. attack_the_block_art