Who needs a statue, MGM moving ahead with RoboCop reboot

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

While the residents of Detroit raise money to build a statue of RoboCop somewhere in their fine city, MGM is raising money to build a new ROBOCOP on the big-screen. The studio had been planning a reboot to be directed by Darren Aronofsky but when the studio declared bankruptcy, the project went kaput and Aronofsky refocused himself on THE WOLVERINE. But now the studio has regained some footing and is looking for a ROBOCOP reboot to be one of their first projects under their new leadership.

UPDATE – Just spoke to a source with knowledge of the situation who says that contrary to the report in Variety, the only films on the slate at MGM are THE HOBBIT, BOND 23 and HANSEL AND GRETEL, each of which, MGM will partner with another studio on. What does this mean to the above and below listed films? Perhaps it’s just wishful thinking…

No real plan or creative talent is attached at this point but MGM execs were making the rounds this week telling agencies that the ROBOCOP reboot is back on and a priority.

It’s not just ROBOCOP though that MGM is looking to get going. The studio is also planning remakes of POLTERGEIST, MR. MOM and THE IDOLMAKER plus an original project based on the legend of Hercules.

Not much in the way of details are available at this point likely because MGM doesn’t have much in the way of details themselves. Without any talent involved, the projects are in the earliest stages of development. The remakes and reboots though allow MGM to leverage their vast library of films into new projects and cashflow.

This is all fine and good as a business model but does it work for audiences? We found out this week that 2011 will break the all-time sequel record and MGM’s plan only adds to that glut. The studio tried to reboot RED DAWN only to have that film sit on its shelf for years and still not have a solid release date. Do you think this is a good strategy for MGM?