Robocop reboot?

A recent announcement about MGM’s new honcho shuffle seems to have caused some kerfuffle — because waaaaayyyy down at the bottom it mentions that the studio is developing, among other things, a remake of Paul Verhoeven’s classic sci-fi satire ROBOCOP.

Given Hollywood’s constant repackaging of the past, this really shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. Truth is, the idea of a revamped ROBOCOP has been kicked around for several years, but screenwriters wisely steered clear of such an undertaking. But now MGM is making another attempt at dismantling the extra-violent original and soldering it back together for a 21st century version of the heavy-steppin police weapon.

Yes, the original ROBOCOP is all but impossible to improve… but the property is also a recognizable brand that any business (such as Show) would exploit. And before your cries of blasphemy, bear in mind that the circuitry-filled crimefighter has already endured two inferior sequels, a syndicated TV show, a miniseries, cartoons, videogames, Japanese imitations, a theme park ride (!!) and countless comic books, including a TERMINATOR crossover and an adaptation of Frank Miller’s unused ROBOCOP 2 screenplay. After so much cybernetic suffering, a clunky reboot isn’t going to make Verhoeven’s movie any less of a masterpiece.

For those who’ve somehow never seen it, ROBOCOP is set in a crime-ridden futuristic Detroit, where a mortally wounded law officer becomes part of a corporate experiment in which his remains are encased in a robotic suit and unleashed on the city’s felons.