Before Star Wars, John Boyega Fought Aliens In This Cult Sci-Fi Movie

In 2015, John Boyega's name exploded alongside Daisy Ridley's when they both took the lead in "Star Wars: The Force Awakens." Boyega played stormtrooper-turned-rebel hero Finn, and while the character was grossly underused as the new trilogy progressed, there's no question that appearing in this beloved franchise helped him become the star he is now. But while Boyega might've had an infamous trip among the stars with Han Solo (RIP) and Chewbacca, there was another underrated and immensely overlooked alien invasion movie that played an even bigger part in helping him get there.

Released in 2011 and directed by Joe Cornish, "Attack the Block" was an English-made sci-fi horror movie that blended two cult classics – "Assault on Precinct 13" and "Critters" – only with sharp British wit. Boyega played Moses, the leader of a gang of kids in South London, who after a night of crime, return home to their apartment block just as neon-fanged, gorilla-like aliens descend upon the area. From there, the kids resort to unconventional methods to take out the extraterrestrials and keep the block as safe as possible. Socially aware and not afraid to take characters permanently out of action, "Attack the Block" was a surprise British gem that earned an impressive fan base and plenty of thumbs up for this underground alien invasion movie, one of which belonged to J.J. Abrams.

Earning 91% on Rotten Tomatoes, the film was praised for playing around in the genres it so clearly loved. Den of Geek's Michael Leader praised the film for wielding "a giddy sense of invention, a freshness of perspective, and a deep understanding of cinematic style." John DeFore of The Washington Post gave it a nearly perfect score, saying, "'Attack the Block' demands to be seen simply because it is a thrill — a pulse-raiser whose perfect construction and pointed wit make it one of the year's most exciting films." With this kind of praise, it was only a matter of time before Boyega got noticed, and thankfully it was by one man who had the keys to the future of the "Star Wars" universe.

When Boyega's name came up on movie news scanners as a new addition to the "Star Wars" universe, the actor revealed that a team-up between him and the co-creator of highly-praised TV show "Lost" was on the cards. "There was already contact between me and J.J.," Boyega told The Wrap. "He was a big fan of 'Attack the Block,' and we were waiting for a project where we could collaborate." The rest, as they say, is history from a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away. But now, with his time as Finn seemingly over (much to our dismay), talk has stirred of Boyega returning to the block and preparing for another attack that's been secretly under construction.

Like some of the great cult hits, "Attack the Block" gained more of a following after it was released, so much so that in 2021, Boyega announced (via Deadline) he was reuniting with Joe Cornish to work on a second "Attack the Block" movie. Fast-forward to 2025, and the leader of the gang confirmed that the script was complete and he'd already given it a once-over.

During an appearance on the "Happy Sad Confused" podcast, Boyega assured that "Joe Cornish has done a phenomenal job on his draft. And we're just cooking it to make it right for everyone. And we obviously need more money for those aliens. We want it to look real good for that 2026 crowd." Of course, with more than a decade since the original film, a lot could've changed for Moses, who was last seen being carted off in a police car, even after saving the world from a small-scale alien invasion.

"For us, it's just about developing the story and making sure Moses and the rest of the characters that we have left are fully hashed out before bringing it out and going to shoot," he assured. "But I'm very passionate and very willing that we will shoot 'Attack the Block 2.' It will happen." For now, we'll keep watching the skies and the block in the hope that it does.