LATEST NEWS

Steven Spielberg Speaks Briefly on His 'Robopocalypse' Adaptation

by Ethan Anderton
January 12, 2012
Source: Time Out London

Though he had two films released in 2011, The Adventures of Tintin and War Horse, director Steven Spielberg isn't slowing down at all. Currently the filmmaker is working on Lincoln with Daniel Day-Lewis as the titular 16th President of the United States, but after that, the iconic director will return to science fiction with his adaptation of Daniel H. Wilson's book Robopocalypse scripted by Cloverfield writer Drew Goddard. Few details have emerged on the project, but recently Time Out London (via The Playlist) sat down with Spielberg who talked a bit about his approach to the story and what drew him to the proejct.

For those joining us, here's the official synopsis of Daniel H. Wilson's book:

They are in your house. They are in your car. They are in the skies…Now they're coming for you.

In the near future, at a moment no one will notice, all the dazzling technology that runs our world will unite and turn against us. Taking on the persona of a shy human boy, a childlike but massively powerful artificial intelligence known as Archos comes online and assumes control over the global network of machines that regulate everything from transportation to utilities, defense and communication. In the months leading up to this, sporadic glitches are noticed by a handful of unconnected humans – a single mother disconcerted by her daughter's menacing "smart" toys, a lonely Japanese bachelor who is victimized by his domestic robot companion, an isolated U.S. soldier who witnesses a 'pacification unit' go haywire – but most are unaware of the growing rebellion until it is too late.

When the Robot War ignites -- at a moment known later as Zero Hour -- humankind will be both decimated and, possibly, for the first time in history, united. Robopocalypse is a brilliantly conceived action-filled epic, a terrifying story with heart-stopping implications for the real technology all around us…and an entertaining and engaging thriller unlike anything else written in years.

Here's what Spielberg, who hasn't done a straight-up science fiction film since War of the Worlds in 2005, had to say about his forthcoming adaptation of Robopocalypse:

"It's a movie about a global war between man and machine. I had a great time creating the future on 'Minority Report,' and it's a future that is coming true faster than any of us thought it would. Robopocalypse takes place in 15 or 20 years, so it'll be another future we can relate to. It's about the consequences of creating technologies which make our lives easier, and what happens when that technology becomes smarter than we are. It's not the newest theme, it's been done throughout science fiction, but it's a theme that becomes more relevant every year."

It's fairly interesting that the film will only take place 15-20 years in the future, but considering how fast technology is developing, we don't have to go decades into the future to believe amazing leaps in technology. That's an interesting concept to get a grasp on, especially since films like Back to the Future Part II looked 30 years into the future and flying cars and hoverboards still aren't around (what are you waiting for, scientists?). Even a film like Minority Report, Spielberg's next most recent sci-fi film, had gritty parts of the world still around amidst unparalleled technology. But for now, we'll have to wait a little bit before seeing any solid incarnation of the world Spielberg is crafting for Robopocalypse as the film won't go before cameras until September at the earliest. Personally, I can't wait for Spielberg's return to sci-fi, and hope he takes it to a darker arena than we've seen from him previously.

Filed under Development, Movie News

From around the web: