NEILL BLOMKAMP TO DIRECT NEW ‘ROBOCOP’ MOVIE BASED ON SEQUEL

Hollywood is known for it’s remakes but it’s not often that it remakes a sequel – and a poorly madeone at that. However what makes this interesting and exciting is that it’s getting a reboot from talented District 9 director Neill Blomkamp. It’s pretty difficult to think of another name which would do the RoboCop franchise justice than Blomkamp.

MGM is partnering up with Sony pictures to developing “RoboCop Returns” after “RoboCop” remake, directed by Jose Padilha and starring Joel Kinnaman as the title character introduced the film to a new generation of audiences. The film did decently at the box office, grossing $240 million worldwide. However, many critics feel that the remake failed to take the franchise in an interesting new direction.

Original screenwriter Ed Neumeier is producing “RoboCop Returns” and Michael Miner is executive producing. Justin Rhodes will rewrite the script that Neumeier and Miner wrote as a sequel to Verhoeven’s original.

Despite "RoboCop’s" success in 1987, "RoboCop 2" was troubled production from beginning to end, with Miller's script being reworked by Wild Bunch screenwriter Walon Green and the sequel's original director, Tim Hunter, leaving before the beginning of principal photography. The Empire Strikes Back director Irvin Kershner stepped in at the eleventh hour, but the resulting film was something of a disappointment when it emerged in 1990: a mixture of storylines with some interesting possibilities that never blossomed to their full potential.  

Although sequels in a movie series traditionally follow one after another, it's not unheard of for certain series to ignore specific predecessors so as not to be creatively restrained. This, sometimes fortunately and sometimes unfortunately, is happening more and more as we sequel after sequel.  Thankfully Blomkamp will likely have free rain on the storyline. This means he’ll likely ignore the plotline of the sequels and will probably take the movie to new and interesting directions. What exactly the storyline is and how it will pertain to the 2014 version remains to be seen.

As things stand now, it doesn't sound like the new Robocop movie has been officially greenlit, but if MGM likes what Ed Neumeier and Neill Blomkamp create, then no doubt the studio won't waste anytime putting it into production.

There's no release date set for this yet, but fans will be eagerly awaiting for updates.