Back in January, we learned that Deadpool 3 director Shawn Levy is returning to the world of Real Steel for a new Disney+ series. The 2011 movie starred Hugh Jackman, Evangeline Lilly, and Anthony Mackie, and followed a father and son who reconcile after years apart as they train a junkyard robot to become a boxing champion.
Disney Branded Television, 20th Television, and Levy's 21 Laps are teaming on the show, but we've heard pretty much nothing since about where things stand with the project.
Collider recently caught up with the filmmaker, however, and he made it clear they need time to ensure the TV show respects the mythology established by the cult classic movie. Confirming the follow-up "is in very active and promising development," Levy added: "I'm really excited about the ideas that we're exploring."
"But as you can tell from my cagey words, I can't yet tell you about the writer or timeline," he continued. "I will say that we heard a lot of pitches. And I realized, over the course of those pitches, that I am fiercely protective of ‘Real Steel.’ I'd rather make no show than the wrong show."
"And I finally heard a take that takes the lore of the movie and does some really exciting things with it. I'm finally getting really excited about where we're headed."
The Real Steel TV series is probably still at least a couple of years away, but this is an exciting update and one that bodes well for a sequel we've been waiting over a decade for now. The movie grossed just shy of $300 million when it was released, and seeing as its budget was only $110 million, we're honestly a little surprised it hasn't already happened.
Another big question is whether any original cast members will return, though we're hearing this may be more spin-off than a full-blown sequel.
Stay tuned for updates.