Merrick here...


An interesting press release about MGM seems to confirm the studio's interest in a project we'd heard alluded to a while back. It dropped off the radar for a while (we were all hoping this one would just go away), but now, unfortunately, now it's back.

Here's a snippet from the release:

MGM is planning an exciting fall and winter release schedule. In partnership with Sony Pictures Entertainment, MGM will bring new installments of two of its tentpole franchises -- the new James Bond movie QUANTUM OF SOLACE and Steve Martin in PINK PANTHER 2. MGM will also release United Artists' international thriller VALKYRIE, starring Tom Cruise on October 3. With the appointment of Parent, MGM will enter its new phase of evolution by focusing on its major movie franchises highlighted by JAMES BOND and PINK PANTHER sequels, THE HOBBIT, THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR 2, THE OUTER LIMITS, ROBOCOP, DEATH WISH and FAME, among others.

Most of the projects listed here ('cept for maybe OUTER LIMITS...don't know what they're doing with that) are already known, or we've already covered.

BUT...

ROBOCOP!?!?!?!

In the past, we've heard rumblings that a new ROBOCOP movie was feasible...but its blatant inclusion in a press release suggests that maneuverings may be further along than we knew.

Needless to say, it's an extremely safe bet that a resurrected ROBOCOP franchise would be nowhere near as ballsy, edgy, or socially satirical as its source material (especially Verhoeven's film)- our age of hyper-sensitivity and over-amped political correctness would never allow it.

You can read the entire release HERE.

I mean, really, when was the last time we saw something like this?

And that...is ROBOCOP. The softer the franchise got, the less interesting it got...and the fewer people payed attention.

This one has trouble written all over it.

BY THE WAY, does anyone out there have a bead on a script for the ORIGINAL sequel (before ROBOCOP 2 came about). It was called ROBOCOP: THE CORPORATE WARS & was really different from the ROBOCOP 2 that we ultimately got.

Unlike ROBOCOP 2, this was written by Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner (the first film's writers) & featured ROBOCOP being disabled in the film's opening, only to awaken to a radically different world many years later.

If you have access to it or know more, DROP ME A LINE, I'd love to hear from you!

Thanks to Chatolokes for pointing us towards the press release.