It’s official: there’s no RoboCop Returns, but there is an eight-part RoboCop TV series on the way, with Dan Stevens taking on the title role. No secret whatsoever that since it acquired MGM, Amazon has been keen to find a way to bring RoboCop back to the screen. In fact, even since the 2014 film ... RoboCop | Amazon opts for TV series, Dan Stevens to star
It’s official: there’s no RoboCop Returns, but there is an eight-part RoboCop TV series on the way, with Dan Stevens taking on the title role.
No secret whatsoever that since it acquired MGM, Amazon has been keen to find a way to bring RoboCop back to the screen. In fact, even since the 2014 film – which I still think has more to it than it’s often given credit for – there’s been talk of another RoboCop feature film.
That may still happen, but it’s clearly on the backburner for now, with the formal announcement of a limited TV series instead. What’s more, Dan Stevens is treading where Peter Weller, Richard Eden, Robert Burke and Joel Kinnamon have treaded before: he’s going to be Alex Murphy and RoboCop in the new show.
In much the same way that the Alien universe was expanded and further explored by Alien: Earth, the new RoboCop will have several hours to explore the story. It sounds like they may be going back to square one for it, so don’t be surprised if we get the origin story again.
Peter Ocko is showrunner for the new programme, and James Wan is one of the executive producers too. He’s feasibly going to be directing an episode or two as well. Ed Neumeier, co-writer of the original film, is also on board as executive producer as well.
With no hint of irony, the official logline from Amazon talks about “a giant tech conglomerate”, in this case one that “convinces the city to place a powerful robot on its police force – a robot implanted with the consciousness of a beloved, fallen officer (Stevens).”
Eight episodes are initially being ordered, and it’s taken several years to get to this point. Presumably, as they’re announcing now, the plan is to start shooting this year, ahead of a return for Robo in 2027.
This also, I’d assume, ends the chances of Neill Blomkamp’s RoboCop Returns getting off the ground. Although given Blomkamp is off making AI films now, the writing has been on the wall for a bit there too.
Your move, etc. More as we hear it. Here’s hoping for a brilliant ZX Spectrum tie-in game as well.
