Report: Darren Aronofsky's 'RoboCop' Reboot Is Dead

We never cared much for this idea, so if Darren Aronofsky’s “RoboCop” remake is dead as new reports suggest, we can’t say we have any problem with it.

Aussie site Moviehole, which has been a little obsessed with this film, says the remake, which was already reported as delayed because of MGM studio issues, is toast (and it sounded like Aronofsky might have bailed a long time ago).

A source tells the site, “[Darren] has lost interest anyway, I believe. Think we’re all just going to have to be happy with the three RoboCop movies that are out there.”

Sounds like a wise choice and we can’t say we’re surprised. Aronofsky’s take on “RoboCop” sounded much like his failed attempt to make “The Dark Knight” (before Christopher Nolan rebooted the series) which was far too gritty and realistic for studios at the time.

“My pitch was always very realistic, he told Contact Music in 2007. “I wasn’t interested in fantasy, I was interested in the psychology of a real man dressing in a disguise to pay out real vengeance. The Batmobile was a souped-up Lincoln Continental with a bus engine. It was technical and rusty and extremely violent. They would have never let us have violence.”

All’s well that ends well? We’re kind of glad Aronofsky is confounding his core audience who probably have no interest in his forthcoming ballet-world film “Black Swan” which will open the upcoming Venice Film Festival. And as always, we’re into a filmmaker who defies expectations.

No project is set yet for the director after the Natalie Portman-starring supernatural dance film, but “Serena” with Angelina Jolie is one we hope he pursues soon. Also on his plate of potential projects is a Jackie Kennedy biopic starring his wife Rachel Weisz and a project called “The Tiger” that could finally see the filmmaker work with Brad Pitt. Pitt was supposed to star in the original version of “The Fountain,” but bailed on the project last minute. Aronofsky revamped the film (as with Pitt’s absence his budget was slashed) and eventually made it with Hugh Jackman.

As we mentioned, “Black Swan” makes its World Premiere in Venice, it’s North American premiere at TIFF and will mostly likely see a release before the end of the year via Fox Searchlight.