Neill Blomkamp is directing a direct sequel to 1987’s Robocop, so reports Deadline. The film is titled Robocop Returns, which I don’t love, but will be based on an original screenplay written by original Robocop scribes Ed Neumeier and Michael Miner. The screenplay, which was intended to be produced as Robocop 2 before they went with a different story, will be re-worked by Justin Rhodes, the man behind the in-production ‘Terminator’ movie being shot by Tim Miller.
Blomkamp’s statement will reassure any worries you may have with a new movie moving into production.
“The original definitely had a massive effect on me as a kid,” Blomkamp told the trade. “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.”
There’s more comment from all involved at the end of the link above.
Are you happy that a new Robocop film is on the way?
More as it comes in.
