The RoboCop franchise kicked off in 1987, and while neither the sequels nor 2014's reboot managed to live up to that, interest in the franchise among fans remains high. The gloriously ultraviolent RoboCop: Rogue City video game is proof of that!
Now, Deadline brings word today that Amazon MGM Studios' planned TV series is taking shape with the addition of Peter Ocko (Lodge 49) as writer, executive producer and showrunner on the "potential" series.
Aquaman and The Conjuring helmer James Wan is also on board to executive produce. Michael Clear, Rob Hackett, and Danielle Bozzone will be overseeing the show on behalf of Wan's Atomic Monster banner.
According to the trade, "The series will follow the premise of the films, focusing on a giant tech conglomerate which collaborates with the local police department to introduce a technologically advanced enforcer to combat rising crime - a police officer who’s part man, part machine."
When Amazon acquired MGM, RoboCop was among the first titles they identified as having potential as a TV series. Others in the works include Legally Blonde, Poltergeist, and Barbershop.
When MGM, one of Hollywood's oldest movie studios, fell under the Amazon banner, most assumed it would only be a matter of time before many of its biggest franchises became streaming fare and, well, here we are.
In 2020, the RoboCop Returns movie fell apart with the departure of filmmaker Neill Blomkamp. Ed Neumeier and Michael Miner were penning the screenplay, and MGM was mulling over a companion series at the time which would have focused on Dick Jones and the rise of Omni Consumer Products in place of RoboCop.
"I’m working at MGM on it," Neumeier said at the time. "It has all the cool stuff about RoboCop except no RoboCop. I’m working with these two writers, Dave Parkin and Rob Gibbs, who bought this idea to a TV producer friend of mine, who then brought it to me."
"With any luck, if MGM is willing, if we can find the partners, if we can get this pilot made, if we can convince a bunch of people – it’s amazing how many people you have to convince – if that all works out maybe we’ll get a TV show up."
No one really wanted that and, thankfully, this effort from Amazon will put the spotlight on the part-man, part-machine cop. As always, stay tuned for updates on this latest RoboCop project as we have them.