Neill Blomkamp opens up about his long-gestating Robocop sequel
Neill Blomkamp’s proposed sequel to 1987s original ‘Robocop‘ entitled ‘Robocop Returns‘ took an interesting turn this weekend as the South African filmmaker dropped more information about the film on his Twitter account. Asked by a fan if there were any status updates on the film, Blomkamp had this to say:
“Script is being written. Going Well! Imagine watching Verhoeven do a follow-up film”
Script is being written. Going well! Imagine watching Verhoeven do a follow up film https://t.co/QDp5T7cf5L
— Neill Blomkamp (@NeillBlomkamp) June 29, 2019
The great news to take from this tweet is that the project is still going ahead and the script is being worked on. So far so good. But the interesting thing about the tweet is the mention of original director Paul Verhoeven. We could be reading more into it than we should but is his name dropping hinting at his return to the world of Robocop? Could we hope against odds that Verhoeven may play a producing or executive producing role? Or even just to be brought in as an advisor, so the new film will match perfectly with his own version, guaranteeing continuity denied to us by the first sequel, Robocop 2? This would make the film an even better prospect than we first thought.
RELATED: Mafex Review | Robocop 2 (Medicom Toy No. 074)
It has also been reported and confirmed that, unlike the second film, Robo will be getting his original silver suit back. As you will recall, the sequel had the suit darkened down somewhat, giving it a not so shiny metal appearance (We won’t mention the suit from the godawful and unwanted Robocop remake) so a return to the silver outfit would fit in perfectly with the new sequel (The plan is to dismiss the sequels and the remake completely) and give the world the ‘proper’ sequel Robocop deserved way back in 1990. I’m not detracting from Robocop 2 as it was still an enjoyable and fun film, it’s just that it couldn’t come close to matching the brilliance and awesomeness of Verhoeven’s masterful original.
1 million% original https://t.co/1bgDvgMLHd
— Neill Blomkamp (@NeillBlomkamp) June 29, 2019
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 at the end of 20th Century sci-fi catalogue, 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.
We can only watch and wait with bated breath for any further news on what promises to be an epic rebirth for our beloved cyborg police officer and his return to our screens as he should be after 32 years. And, I admit it wholeheartedly, I’d buy that for a Dollar!
Until next time.
The Future of the Force. The future of pop culture writing.
Carl Roberts is one of The Future of the Force’s Senior Staff Writers and Books and Literature Correspondents. He loves Star Wars, Marvel, DC, Indiana Jones and Horror movies. Follow him on Twitter @CarlRoberts2 where he uses the force frequently!
Source: Neill Blomkamp
Author
Carl Roberts is the News Editor of The Future of the Force. Aside from being our horror genre aficionado, he is also passionate about Star Wars, Marvel, DC, and the Indiana Jones movies. Follow him on Twitter where he uses the force frequently!
