When RoboCop was first released it seemed its popularity would guarantee a sequel being made. Of course, since then we have had a few sequels to the original RoboCop, but it would be fair to say that none of them felt like a true sequel to that original movie. It turns out that a sequel script was written in 1988, which is being somewhat resurrected for the upcoming RoboCop Returns movie from director Neill Blomkamp.
Blomkamp is essentially getting the chance to do with RoboCop what he was prevented from doing with Aliens. The director is making a sequel to the original movie which will ignore anything which happened in the current sequels and watered down TV show. Blomkamp had previously tried to make a sequel to Aliens which would have ignored Alien 3 and Alien Resurrection, but, it didn’t happen due to Fox pushing ahead instead with Ridley Scott’s prequel movie Alien: Covenant. Personally, I will always wonder what could have been, because for me Alien: Covenant was not the movie I wanted from that franchise.
The sequel to RoboCop which had a working title of The Corporate Wars was written by Ed Neumeier and Michael Miner who also worked on the original movie. However, a writers strike at that time meant this movie was never made and instead later we got instead what became RoboCop 2. So when Blomkamp was given the go-ahead to develop a sequel he found out about this script and decided to use it as a framework for his own movie. Neumeier recently spoke with HN Entertainment and here is what he said about RoboCop Returns.
“Ah, so they are, Neill Blomkamp and his screenwriter Justin Rhodes have done a pass on the script we were writing on and they’re doing another one. It is a slightly different concept in some ways than we were originally doing, Neill wants to do. 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 really, really wants to make a good RoboCop movie. 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. We’ll see what happens next.”
Whilst he didn’t give any specifics on the plot, Neumeier was asked about the villains of this new film and whether they would stand up to the likes of Clarence from the original movie.
“I don’t want to spoil anything but we had some ideas about shall we say about the future of augmented humans and one of our villains is that and our other villain lives in the corporate world somewhat as before, but, you know, the RoboCop thing for me was always exploring man’s relationship with technology, coping with technology.”
Neumeier also spoke about the desire from those involved to get Peter Weller to return to the role of Alex Murphy.
“As you know from the press that Neill Blomkamp wants to bring back Peter Weller back and what you get when you do that if you use the DNA of the old property in the new is that you get something that shares continuity and fans can embrace the brand, it’s not too different and what you realize is that when I was sitting and writing 30 years later, rewriting, the second draft of our sequel to RoboCop, which was called The Corporate Wars at the time and is now called RoboCop Returns. I kept hearing Peter’s voice, you know, Peter adds a lot to that.”
The problem may be whether Peter Weller actually wants to return to the role or not. Previously we had heard that Weller was very cold on the idea of starring in another RoboCop movie, After all, the original movie was over 30 years ago now. But who knows, I’m sure if they offer Mr. Weller enough money, he could be tempted back into the RoboCop suit once more. I’ll be interested to see how this film compares when it is eventually released to audiences, if it’s the sequel we always wanted, I may be even more annoyed that Blomkamp didn’t get to make a revised Alien 3.
RELATED: Could Neill Blomkamp Be Teasing Peter Weller’s Return As Robocop?
What do you think of Neumeier’s comments, are you looking forward to seeing what this team can do with RoboCop Returns? Leave your thoughts below in the comments section or there will be….trouble!
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SOURCE: HN Entertainment