Recently we passed along the epic news that director Neill Blomkamp (DISTRICT 9) is developing a new installment in the ROBOCOP series along with MGM. Not only that, but evidently this new film is the TRUE sequel to ROBOCOP we were always supposed to get – but never did! It's called ROBOCOP RETURNS and Blomkamp has assured fans it will be a hard R motion picture.
How could it get any better?
How about original RoboCop/Alex Murphy Peter Weller returning to the titular lead role? Well, recently a fan over on Twitter asked Blomkamp who he thinks should play RoboCop in his upcoming sequel… and Blomkamp simply responded Peter Weller! You can check out his tweet for yourself RIGHT HERE.
I don't know if the studio is going to be up for casting such a massive role with someone who has been out of the limelight for as long as Weller. But then again, the actor did have a significant role in J.J. Abrams' STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS so maybe that's enough to keep him in the studio's eye line. Plus, it's really only the man's face the flick needs. Cast a young up-and-comer as his new partner, and a legit money-making movie star as the main villain, and – boom – they'll still have a hit film AND they can keep Weller as Alex Murphy.
What do you think of this casting idea? If not Weller, then who would you like to see play Murphy this time around? Let us know below!
Blomkamp on ROBOCOP RETURNS:
The original definitely had a massive effect on me as a kid. 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.
Original writers Ed Neumeier and Michael Miner are producing and exec producing and Justin Rhodes (the new TERMINATOR flick) will rewrite the script that Neumeier and Miner wrote years ago. We'll keep up-to-date on any and all news we hear regarding this new flick so make sure to keep checking back with us here at AITH. Stay tuned!