Little Monsters director Abe Forsythe to helm Robocop Returns

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Robocop's back, baby! THR has reported that Abe Forsythe, who recently helmed Lupita Nyong'o's zombie comedy LITTLE MONSTERS, has been tapped by MGM to direct ROBOCOP RETURNS, a new project which is being developed as a direct sequel to the original Paul Verhoeven film.

As we know, Neill Blomkamp (DISTRICT 9) had been attached to direct ROBOCOP RETURNS but dropped out earlier this year due to scheduling conflicts. "I am shooting new horror/thriller and MGM can’t wait/ need to shoot Robocop now," Blomkamp said on Twitter. "Excited to watch it in theaters with other fans." Original ROBOCOP screenwriters Ed Neumeier and Michael Miner came up with the idea for the sequel and worked with Justin Rhodes (TERMINATOR: DARK FATE) on the script back when Blomkamp was still involved, but THR hears that Abe Forsythe will be rewriting Rhodes' script. Neumier and Miner are still onboard as producers.

Who knows how much will change from that original script to the new version of ROBOCOP RETURNS which Forsythe comes up with, but Ed Neumeier did drop a few teases about the project earlier this year. "I don’t want to talk too much about it or somebody will call me and tell me to shut up, but we’re hopeful and I think Neill [Blomkamp] really really wants to make a good RoboCop movie," Neumeier said. "His idea is that it should be the proper Verhoeven [Paul Verhoeven] if Verhoeven had directed a movie right after RoboCop. I think that’s what he is trying to achieve and I hope he does." Neumeier also teased that one of the villains would be an augmented human while the other would live in the corporate world. "RoboCop thing for me was always exploring man’s relationship with technology, coping with technology," Neumeier said. As I mentioned above, this could easily change after Forsythe's rewrite, so don't take anything as concrete.