Hugh Jackman in a Steven Spielberg (produced) flick? There could be (and have been) far worse cinematic pairings, don’t you think. Well either way, Variety has just issued a tidbit that the WOLVERINE star will take the lead in a futuristic Sci-Fi outing called REAL STEEL, in what will be the first project from DreamWorks since undergoing massive refinancing.
Said to be a ROCKY-esque robot tale, REAL STEEL is inspired by the short story of the same name by acclaimed author Richard Matheson (“Button, Button” – on which THE BOX was based). Shawn Levy (NIGHT OF THE MUSEUM) will direct, doing so with a moderate budget of $80 million (chicken feed compared to other giant Sci-Fi outings).
As far as story goes, REAL STEEL:
Centers on a fighter who has to reinvent himself when human boxers are replaced by robots. Jackman will play a struggling Robot Boxing promoter who finds a discarded robot that always seems to win. He also discovers he has a 11-year-old son, and they bond as the robot brawls its way toward the top.
Although grounded in the father-son relationship, Levy describes the film as a “rousing sports movie” with Jackman’s character “a former boxer who can no longer do the only job he’s good at, and one particular robot that may be his return to grace.”
Damn! I’m all for kickass robot flicks, but REAL STEEL? Shite, I’ve heard far better porno titles! But far be it from me to really judge Matheson and Spielberg when it comes to storytelling. Who knows, maybe the title will change before it’s actually released.
What do you think about this project?