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RoboCop Remake Still Uncertain, But Screenwriter Ed Neumeier is Excited

by Kevin Powers
April 28, 2008
Source: MTV

Folks holding their breath for a RoboCop remake: continue to do so. Despite bringing you word last month that MGM included a remake on their line-up for the fall/winter this year, there's been little mention beyond that flirty seven-letter inclusion in the March press release. With the scent still lingering, MTV caught up with RoboCop's original screenwriter, Ed Neumeier, who is all about bringing the cyborg lawdog back. "I would love to make a RoboCop movie. I actually have a lot of ideas about what we could do with RoboCop now. I think he's a very vital character at the moment." Keep in mind, there's been no further word from MGM on where the project stands.

While Neumeier's enthusiasm is great, his statement about the story's fittingness today seems a bit of stretch. RoboCop was more about corrupt corporations, the media, and straight-up justice. These police-level themes seem just a shadow of the larger political issues of today. But perhaps that's a good thing. Haven't we seen enough political/administration bullsh*t hit the big screen already? And insofar as remakes go, RoboCop seems right at home alongside Rambo, Rocky and other '80s classics experiencing a new life (just go look at Ken's nostalgic 80's piece).

But whether the story is timely or not, RoboCop was a pretty badass series that would be great to see again. As a young kid in the late '80s, the movies - there were two sequels - were pretty damn gritty and violent. (Did you know the film originally had an NC-17 rating, which was actually an X rating at the time?) I can't tell you how long the scene with the malfunctioning ED-209 stayed with me! So I wonder how far a modern day RoboCop would take the violence, given the filming and CGI advancements we have today.

Though Black Book's Paul Verhoeven directed the original, I doubt he'll back alongside the hopeful Neumeier when and/or if the time comes. Strangely, Verhoeven is authoring a biography on Jesus, which is due to be published in September. He's not exactly in the RoboCop headspace.

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REAL6

As long as you get Peter Weller and Paul Verhoeven to Direct them im all for it!!! DROP IT!!!
ni.Je

Man I remember Robocop back in the days.. it was pretty damn tight but I think a remake might just kill it.
Tyler

I love the Robocop films and I even enjoyed the third one even though the amazing before mentioned violence was absent. But I think that Iron man is going to have the metal suited enforcer role locked up for the next 6 years at least.
http://www.theaterhopper.com Tom Brazelton

Peter Weller *IS* RoboCop to me. His performance made the whole thing plausible. Considering the studios are gun-shy around the "R" rating these days and how desperate they are to dip into the pockets of cash-loose 13 year-olds - I wouldn't anticipate a remake being any more violent than the original. Look at the recent Rambo film. It was a hard "R", but didn't do any better than Live Free or Die Hard, which I believe was PG-13.
http://movieguyreviews4u.blogspot.com Ryan

As long as Peter and Paul are a part of it I am in. I think anyone else who will take it will make it into a giant bloody massacre.
http://www.youtube.com/user/Ivanscope Ivan

I'll buy that for a dollar! Sorry, I had to..
Spider

I certainly hope that Paul Verhoeven and Peter Weller return for this remake, if there is one! It would be cool to see "Robocop" on the big screen again!
John

I would have to agree there's a lot of potential, thematically, to bring the guy back/ The original played with the scary idea of a privatized police force. Now our military is outsourcing its work to private military organizations like Blackwater.
Kyle A. K.

Yeah it is about time for a remake. The original was so insanely bloody/gory for the time...it was a classic. Not a great classic, but pretty darn good.
http://rioranchofilmreviews.blogspot.com/ Ricky Roma

RoboCop is a great film but there's no point in trying to relive past glories. Just leave it alone.
John

I don't think it needs to be a remake. Just do what Superman Returns did - say "Sequel? What sequel?" and just carry on. Just make a RoboCop movie.
Jont

it better be based in detroit again crime is still out of control here
avoidz

This is a very very bad idea. Leave the original RoboCop alone!!
Dave Paradise

could be good, although the original movie still holds up. Peter Weller would make an excellent Dick Jones!