Jason Kidd, Tyson Beckford, Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman Jay Pharoah, Condola Rashad, and Rachel Roy were just a few of the celebrities who joined Matt Damon on Tuesday evening for a special screening of his sci-fi action film “Elysium” in New York.  Entertainment Weekly, 2(X)IST WATCHES, Quintessentially Lifestyle and CÎROC Ultra Premium hosted the evening and the after-party was held at The General. 

Film Synopsis: In the year 2154, the very wealthy live on Elysium, a Stanford torus high-tech space station governed by President Patel (Faran Tahir), in a utopian setting which includes access to private medical machines that offer instant cures, while everyone else lives below on the overpopulated, ruined, “Third World slum” Earth has become. Those who maintain Elysium will stop at nothing to enforce anti-immigration laws and preserve their citizens’ lifestyle, even destroying ships that attempt to get there. After an industrial accident leaves him with a cancer virus, 36-year-old factory-worker and ex-con Max DeCosta (Matt Damon) has only five days to get from Los Angeles to Elysium in order to be cured.Max straps into a powerful exoskeleton and attempts to kidnap a rich businessman (William Fichtner) in order to steal his identity and hijack his way into Elysium. This pits him against Elysium’s Secretary Delacourt (Jodie Foster) and her violent secret police forces, led by Agent Kruger (Sharlto Copley).

We spoke with Jason Kidd on the red carpet. Check out what he had to say:

Q: Growing up did you have any futuristic movies or books that made you think the future would look something like the world of “Elysium?”

Jason Kidd: I’m a big fan of the “Matrix.” I thought that was a classic, it kind of gave us something of what the future could be. But also some of the plot of this movie! He’s fighting for what he believes in and so it’s something that hopefully when I see them, now that I’m a coach, I can use this as one of my tools.

Q: Speaking of which, how have the new members of the Nets meshed with the team?

Jason Kidd: They’ve been great, we got a great group of guys. And so I’m very excited about the veteran guys and I’m looking forward to it. But you know, when you come to movies like this you pick up different things. So I’m excited to see what this brings.

“Elysium” hits theaters next Friday, August 9.

-Jagpal Khahera

PHOTO CREDIT:   courtesy of 2(X)IST Watches