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MGM attempted to reboot Robocop back in 2014 with Joel Kinnaman, but that movie didn’t turn out so well, and it looked like the franchise had gone cold. Now they plan to go back to the roots with a film called Robocop Returns, and they’re tapping Neill Blomkamp to direct the movie.
According to Deadline, Blomkamp will be working with original Robocop writers Ed Neumeier and Michael Miner who are attached as producers of the film. The script will be one from Neumeier and Miner as well, but it is being rewritten by Justin Rhodes, the same guy who co-write the upcoming Terminator 6.
Blomkamp told Deadline about taking on the project:
“The original definitely had a massive effect on me as a kid… I loved it then and it remains a classic in the end of 20th Century sci-fi catalog, with real meaning under the surface. Hopefully that is something we can get closer to in making of a sequel. That is my goal here. What I connected to as a kid has evolved over time. At first, the consumerism, materialism and Reaganomics, that ’80s theme of America on steroids, came through most strongly. But As I’ve gotten older, the part that really resonated with me is identity, and the search for identity. As long as the human component is there, a good story can work in any time period, it’s not locked into a specific place in history. What’s so cool about RoboCop is that like good Westerns, sci-fi films and dramas, the human connection is really important to a story well told. What draws me now is someone searching for their lost identity, taken away at the hands of people who are benefiting from it, and seeing his memory jogged by events. That is most captivating. The other thing I am excited by is the chance to work again with Justin Rhodes. He has added elements that are pretty awesome, to a sequel that was set in the world of Verhoeven. This is a movie I would love to watch.”
It’s interesting that Blomkamp should be tapped to work on this movie, as he was previously trying to get another reboot/sequel off the ground with the Alien franchise. Of course, Ridley Scott took over for those films, but now Blomkamp has a different sandbox to play in.
I’ll admit District 9 was an amazing film, but after that Blomkamp has not been able to make a hit movie. Both Elysium and Chappie turned out critical disappointments, but they are no doubt visual marvels. Hopefully Blomkamp can make another fantastic film given the right script.
Here’s the short synopsis:
Anarchy reigns and the fate of Detroit hangs in the balance as RoboCop makes his triumphant return to fight crime and corruption.
No release date has been set for Robocop Returns.
