subject: Can A Robocop Remake Work Well Enough To Interest A New Audiece [print this page] The 1987 film Robocop is not just a cult classic, but a classic film in general. The American film debut of Dutch filmmaker Paul Verhoeven, RoboCop was a scathing satire of 1980s America, while at the same time it was a heart filled character study of a man who is killed and brought back as a machine. The film, in keeping with its satire of excess, was extremely violent and gory, but was done in such a way that it carried a dark humor. The film is now a classic of the science fiction genre. And, like most classics of any genre, a remake of the film is in development.
Rumors of a RoboCop remake first started circling around in 2005, when an unofficial announcement was made and then confirmed by Sony's Screen Gems division. However, that movie was put on ice in 2006. Then, in 2008, a new announcement of a remake was made by MGM. The only problem is that, due to the economy, nobody knows whether or not MGM will continue to exist, or what will happen to its properties, which includes RoboCop. So whether or not the film will happen is unknown. However, should the film continue to be greenlit, there is already a director picked. Director Darren Aaronofsky is currently the only name attached to the project. Aaronofsky is best known for directing such films as the Fountain and the acclaimed film The Wrestler. Doing a film such as RoboCop would be a radical change in direction for the visceral director, as he has never done an action oriented film.
Many fans are unsure of whether or not a remake is even necessary, as to do a remake would call for an almost complete update of the visual design as well as the themes. Many question the necessity of a remake on the grounds that the film works best as an 80s movie and that a remake would not bring anything new to the table in terms of story. Fans are also worried about the prospect of a new RoboCop film because every RoboCop feature that followed after the first film was a travesty, to say the very least. None of the follow-ups contained the same biting criticism or gritty atmosphere that the original had, and most follow-ups tried to tone the series down to be family friendly, which goes completely against the nature of the original film. Time will tell whether or not the remake will even be made, although some are expecting it to be released in 2011 (though this release date is increasingly unlikely).
