A couple months ago, Neill Blomkamp revealed that he wouldn't be able to direct ROBOCOP RETURNS, a sequel to the original ROBOCOP, because he was going to be making a horror/thriller and MGM wasn't willing to wait for him. Now we know what that horror/thriller project is, although the trades are referring to it as a sci-fi thriller.
AGC Studios are producing and fully financing Blomkamp's new film INFERNO, which is set to star Taylor Kitsch as
a cop who is called to investigate a seemingly ordinary murder in the New Mexico desert. There he uncovers a deeper conspiracy and begins to suspect that the killer he’s trying to find may be a humanoid beast.
That sounds like the set-up for some solid entertainment to me. MGM hasn't made any announcements about replacing Blomkamp on ROBOCOP RETURNS, so I'm still hoping they will wait so he can make both movies.
AGC Studios founder Stuart Ford says,
Over the last decade Neill Blomkamp has proven himself to be one of the most innovative creators of science fiction cinema in the world and I’m convinced that INFERNO is going to break new ground and take Neill’s body of work to even greater heights."
INFERNO is scheduled to begin filming in early 2020.