The “RoboCop” franchise has experienced a history that could be seen as very similar to lead character Alex Murphy. The original film is a classic, regarded as one of the best satirical action films of all time. However, much like Murphy in the first film, the franchise had its arms blown off by dumb sequels and TV series, with the apparent headshot being the recently released horrible reboot film. But like Murphy, the “RoboCop” franchise is reborn and supposedly going to be better than ever.
For “RoboCop Returns,” MGM has hired none other than filmmaker Neill Blomkamp to helm the film, according to Deadline. Fresh off the disappointment of not being able to direct his long-awaited “Alien” sequel, it appears that Blomkamp has moved on to another famous sci-fi franchise. However, the big news, and perhaps the biggest source of hope in this new sequel, is the fact that ‘Returns’ will be based on an unproduced sequel script by original writers Ed Neumeier and Michael Miner.
That’s right, MGM is dusting off a decades-old script that was supposed to be used as the sequel to the Paul Verhoeven classic. The studio has hired Justin Rhodes, who co-wrote the upcoming “Terminator” reboot, to rewrite the script. However, Neumeier and Miner are returning as producers on this new film. Deadline describes the plot of the film as, “anarchy reigns and the fate of Detroit hangs in the balance as RoboCop makes his triumphant return to fight crime and corruption.”
Blomkamp gave a pretty long statement about the project, but it’s worth reading if you’re concerned that the filmmaker doesn’t have a grasp on the material. “The original definitely had a massive effect on me as a kid,” Blomkamp told Deadline. “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.”
The real question you’re probably asking yourself is “Why didn’t MGM use this sequel script way back in the ‘80s?” Well, writer Neumeier breaks it down to Deadline, “Verhoeven felt at the time that making one would be de classe and he wasn’t interested in the politics of a sequel. Then, the writers strike came along in 1988 and we were force majeured off the project. They brought in Frank Miller on a waiver. He wrote a draft and then another with Walon Green, and it got made by Irvin Kershner, who directed The Empire Strikes Back. I went off and did Starship Troopers with Paul.”
He continues by saying the reason MGM got involved with the original writers for this version is thanks to Donald Trump. “Right when Trump was about to be elected president he called me and said, ‘Did you actually predict in your sequel script that a reality star would run for president and win?’ We had. So Mike and I wrote a draft and gave one interview in Barbados and I think the only person who read it was Neill Blomkamp, and that set this in motion,” Neumeier said.