Neill Blomkamp loses RoboCop Returns due to scheduling conflict

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Here's a good news / bad news situation. The good news is that DISTRICT 9's Neill Blomkamp is currently making a horror-thriller. The bad news is that this project has caused him to lose the ROBOCOP RETURNS directing gig.

Blomkamp told his Twitter followers about this sad turn of events just a few hours ago, saying that MGM "can't wait" and wants to get ROBOCOP RETURNS into production before he's done working on the horror-thriller. Although he won't be the director bringing ROBOCOP RETURNS to the screen, he is still "excited to watch it in theaters with other fans."

Off Robocop. I am shooting new horror/thriller and MGM can’t wait/ need to shoot Robocop now. Excited to watch it in theaters with other fans. N

— Neill Blomkamp (@NeillBlomkamp) August 15, 2019

First announced just over a year ago, ROBOCOP RETURNS is a direct sequel to the original 1987 ROBOCOP and is based on a screenplay that the first film's writers Ed Neumeier and Michael Miner were working on before the 1988 writers strike forced them off the project. TERMINATOR: DARK FATE co-writer Justin Rhodes has updated the Neumeier and Miner script with a fresh rewrite.

Neumeier and Miner are producing and executive producing this long-awaited sequel… but now MGM is going to have to find another director for it.