UPDATE: Neill Blomkamp has dropped out from the project with Abe Forsythe (Little Monsters) set to take over the helm of Robocop Returns. Forsythe will also be tasked to rewrite the script.
Stay tuned.
SOURCE: The Hollywood Reporter
A direct sequel to 1987’s original ‘Robocop’ is on the way with director Neill Blomkamp (District 9) at the helm!
Ignoring the events of 1990’s ‘Robocop 2’, 1993’s ‘Robocop 3’, and the failed reboot back in 2014 starring Joel Kinnaman, ROBOCOP RETURNS is based on a script written by original writers Ed Neumeier and Michael Miner with rewrites handled by Justin Rhodes. This sequel will see RoboCop’s triumphant return to fight crime and corruption as Anarchy reigns and the fate of Detroit hangs in the balance.
Blomkamp stated: “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.”
Stay tuned for more details.
SOURCE: Deadline
