After years of reports about a RoboCop revival circling the internet, the project seems to finally be coming together. The last live-action entry in the series was the 2014 reboot starring Joel Kinnaman, which earned an underwhelming reception from audiences and critics alike.
Understandably, a story about the drastic measures the police industrial complex took in order to secure peace and thwart crime has been relevant since the first movie was unleashed back in 1987, though an effective take on the concept is easier said than done. Prime Video, however, has finally made significant progress on their revival series, which includes casting Dan Stevens to play the main character.
During a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Stevens reflected on his love for the character and the experience of finally securing the role.
“Oh, my goodness, I was so thrilled. In fact, the announcement was made while I was on the set of Dexter,” the actor recalled. “I was teasing [producer] Scott [Reynolds] about it, like, ‘It’s this thing, but I can’t quite tell you about it,’ and then [looks at his watch] I was like, ‘Oh wait, it’s been announced!’ I was waiting to do a scene and Michael [C. Hall] came up to me, ‘Congratulations.’ It was a very surreal moment.”
He added, “And what an amazing universe to get to inhabit. The original left such an imprint on me as a young film watcher, and I think on most of my generation. I’ve never had so many texts from guys over 35 in one day as that day; people I haven’t heard from for 20 years.”
While the actor didn’t outright explain what the new approach to the material would be, he explained what he feels made the original movie so effective, which implies those elements will also be present in this new TV series.
“There seems to be an appetite for it. The original had two elements that I’m a huge fan of: extreme violence and satire,” Stevens pointed out. “And I think it is such a ripe paradigm for satirizing this moment that we’re in, with the police industrial complex. There’s so much to play with there, so I can’t wait.”
Peter Ocko will be the writer and showrunner, with James Wan executive producing for Blumhouse Atomic Monster. RoboCop co-creator Ed Neumeier is an executive producer.
At this time, it’s unclear when the project will begin filming or be released.
Are you looking forward to the new series? Let us know in the comments below!