As a die-hard “Robocop” fan, it’s been tough the past decade or so. The remake just wasn’t great and definitely failed to live up to the original in nearly every way. Then came the reports that Neill Blomkamp was going to make a “RoboCop” film. Sadly, that never came to be. And now, it appears the best we can hope for is a “RoboCop” TV series from Prime Video. 

Continue reading ‘RoboCop’ TV Series In The Works With James Wan Aboard To Produce at The Playlist.

It almost goes without saying a lot of the time, but it’s never a surprise when a filmmaker isn’t a fan of someone else remaking their work. Obviously, some of that is tied to the ego, as creative folks don’t want other people tinkering with their art. But in the case of Paul Verhoeven, when he’s talking about two high-profile remakes of his films, “Total Recall” and “RoboCop,” his issues are less about the idea of someone else taking a shot at the same subject matter and more about people missing the point. 

Continue reading Paul Verhoeven Explains His Issues With The ‘RoboCop’ & ‘Total Recall’ Remakes at The Playlist.

Does any film really need a full six-hour documentary devoted to it? Honestly, you would be hard-pressed to think of one single film that deserves a multi-episode docuseries analyzing every aspect of its creation. And yet, the filmmakers behind “RoboDoc – The Creation of RoboCop” did just that. And you know what? It’s fucking glorious. Gratuitous? Yes. Incredibly nerdy? Most definitely. But if you’re a huge fan of “RoboCop” or looking for a deep dive into the process of feature-filmmaking, then you’ll gleefully watch six hours of this series and then wonder if there could have been more. 

READ MORE: ‘The Creator’ Review: Gareth Edwards’ Familiar Pastiche Of Lo-Fi Sci-Fi Is Epic, Intimate & Ponders A.I.’s Humanity

The title really says it all — “RoboDoc – The Creation of RoboCop” is a four-episode docuseries that breaks down every aspect of the 1987 feature film, “RoboCop.” From writing the script to casting the film to the troubles during production to the film’s massive box office success, every nook and cranny of this film is put under the microscope.

Continue reading ‘RoboDoc’ Review: Docuseries Breaks Down The  Origins Of ‘RoboCop’ In Glorious, If Not Gratuitous Detail at The Playlist.

After streaming giant Amazon acquired MGM Studios, it was a little unclear what active properties and projects in development would move forward. Thankfully, a new Deadline report gives us a better idea of what could be coming soon from that heap of high-profile IP at Amazon Studios. Some of those projects on the table include film/television incarnations of “RoboCop,” “Stargate,” “Legally Blonde,” “The Thomas Crown Affair,” “Fame,” “Barbershop,” and the iconic western “The Magnificent Seven” (a Hollywood remake of “The Seven Samurai”) that most recently had a remake that starred Denzel Washington and Chris Pratt.

Continue reading Amazon Eyeing New Film/TV Projects Based On MGM’s ‘RoboCop,’ ‘Stargate,’ ‘Legally Blonde’ & More at The Playlist.

Over the summer, Dutch filmmaker Paul Verhoeven while promoting his latest effort “Benedetta,” revealed that his next movie would be an American political/spy thriller set in Washington D.C. and would be his first U.S.-set film since the Kevin Bacon-led horror pic “Hollow Man” made way back in 2000.

Paul Verhoeven now tells MovieMaker that the project is “Young Sinner” and will be the vein of erotic thrillers such as his own “Basic Instinct” and the other big Michael Douglas film of this genre “Fatal Attraction.” Twenty years since he worked in the U.S., Verhoeven teased a “more explosive” film geared towards a bigger audience than some of his more recent work.

Continue reading Paul Verhoeven Reunites With ‘RoboCop’ Screenwriter For Erotic Washington Spy Thriller ‘Young Sinner’ at The Playlist.

$8.45 billion is a lot of money for any company to spend. But when you’re Amazon and you’re trying to get a leg up in the Streaming Wars, spending nearly $8.45 billion on one of the most storied film studios in the history of Hollywood, MGM, seems like a bargain. So, with that mindset, you can totally understand why the tech company vastly overpaid for a library of classic films and the chance to make some future franchise features and TV shows.

Continue reading Amazon Secures $8.45 Billion Deal To Acquire MGM at The Playlist.

There are few actors that have done such an eclectic body of work over the past decade like Joel Kinnaman. From his incredible performance in 2011’s “The Killing” series from AMC to his work in films such as “Knight of Cups” and “Suicide Squad,” Kinnaman has made a career of taking a wide variety of roles and putting his stamp on them.

Continue reading Joel Kinnaman Talks ‘Brothers By Blood,’ ‘The Suicide Squad’ & How He’d Do ‘RoboCop’ Differently Today [The Playlist Podcast] at The Playlist.

Months before the 2016 presidential election, Alternet writer Adam Johnson used the term “copraganda” to describe any media story that “that uncritically advances a police department’s image or helps undermine reform efforts.” The same label can be applied to the way film and television have carefully sculpted the way we view law enforcement for nearly a century. Rookie cops, hero cops, crooked cops, buddy cops, supernatural cops, even a series devoted to a “Maniac Cop.” Filmmakers like David Ayer have practically built careers out of rehashing the “dirty cop” story in films like “Training Day” and “End of Watch.” Networks have flooded our TV screens for decades with stories like “Dragnet,” “Law & Order,” NYPD Blue,” “C.S.I.,” and enough spin-offs, reboots, and copycats to fill its own streaming channel (please, don’t actually do this).

Continue reading 25 Essential Films About Corrupt Cops & Police Brutality at The Playlist.

When Neill Blomkamp left the production of “RoboCop Returns,” many fans feared that the long-in-development sequel would just fall apart. However, it appears that MGM isn’t letting the setback impede progress on the sequel, as the studio has now brought in Abe Forsythe to bring ‘RoboCop’ back to the big screen.

READ MORE: Neill Blomkamp Says He’s Off ‘RoboCop Returns’ & Is Now Directing A New Horror Film

According to THR, MGM has landed on Forsythe, who recently released his horror-comedy “Little Monsters,” as the director of “RoboCop Returns,” which is set to serve as a direct sequel to the 1987 original film directed by Paul Verhoeven.

Continue reading ‘Little Monsters’ Director Abe Forsythe Takes Over For Neill Blomkamp On ‘RoboCop Returns’ at The Playlist.

Neill Blomkamp can’t seem to catch a break. After breaking onto the scene in a big way with his Oscar-nominated film “District 9,” the filmmaker was poised to be one of the next big things. After only moderate success with “Elysium” and “Chappie,” the filmmaker seemed to be ready to move into franchise work with “Alien 5.” Of course, that never happened, though Blomkamp worked on it for a while.

Continue reading Neill Blomkamp Says He’s Off ‘RoboCop Returns’ & Is Now Directing A New Horror Film at The Playlist.

Neill Blomkamp is quite obviously a big-time genre film fan. Not only is that apparent in his original work, which features influences galore. However, he was also famously attached to direct “Alien 5,” which would have gone back to the original’s roots for a new story. And after that fell apart, Blomkamp has now found himself trying to bring back the glory of another genre masterpiece, “RoboCop.”

It’s been almost exactly a year since it was announced that Blomkamp would be working on a new sequel, simply titled “RoboCop Returns.” The film is said to pick up where the Paul Verhoeven original left off, seemingly pushing the other sequels and spin-offs aside.

Continue reading Neill Blomkamp Updates Status Of ‘RoboCop Returns’ & Says Sequel Will Use The Classic Design Of The Character at The Playlist.

When you think about Marvel Studios’ upcoming film “Captain Marvel,” which tells the story of an intergalactic freedom fighter and member of the Kree warrior race that has to save Earth from an invasion from the evil alien race of Skrulls, you probably wouldn’t immediately think of “RoboCop” as an apt cinematic comparison. However, according to co-directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, the ‘80s classic action satire served as one of the biggest inspirations for the upcoming superhero flick.

Continue reading ‘Captain Marvel’ Directors Explain Why ‘RoboCop’ Is A Huge Inspiration For The Superhero Film at The Playlist.

The “RoboCop” franchise has experienced a history that could be seen as very similar to lead character Alex Murphy. The original film is a classic, regarded as one of the best satirical action films of all time. However, much like Murphy in the first film, the franchise had its arms blown off by dumb sequels and TV series, with the apparent headshot being the recently released horrible reboot film. But like Murphy, the “RoboCop” franchise is reborn and supposedly going to be better than ever.

Continue reading Neill Blomkamp To Resurrect ‘RoboCop’ With Writers Of The Verhoeven Classic at The Playlist.

Franchises don’t really die anymore — there’s simply too much potential lucre to be made. So, even though barely four years have passed since the failed “RoboCop” reboot starring Joel Kinnaman, of course, yet another big screen iteration of the crime fighter is in the works.

“RoboCop” co-creator Ed Neumeier spilled the beans to Zeitgeist Magazine, telling them that he’s “working on a new one at MGM right now.” Of course, this is all supposed to be hush-hush, but so much for that.

Continue reading Dead Or Alive There’s Going To Be Another ‘RoboCop’ Sequel at The Playlist.

June is nearly here, and we’re really in the thick of summer blockbuster season. “Pirates Of The Caribbean: Diminishing Returns” opened this past weekend, “Wonder Woman” is coming up, Tom Cruise battles “The Mummy” after that, then “Cars 3,” “Transformers: The Last Knight,” “Baby Driver,” “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” “War For The Planet Of The Apes,” “Valerian And The City Of A Thousand Planets,” “Dunkirk” and “Atomic Blonde” are all on deck without a quiet week to be found.

Continue reading The 50 Best Summer Blockbusters Of All Time at The Playlist.

MARRAKECH, MOROCCO: Between receiving his first-ever tribute, here in Marrakech, and holding a Masterclass, Paul Verhoeven, the director of such modern-day cult classics as “Basic Instinct,” “Robocop” and “Showgirls,” discussed both the comedy of being gifted Sharon Stone‘s knickers, and the tragedy of rape in his latest film, “Elle.”

Born in the Netherlands, Verhoeven actually studied math and physics, but he soon found his way into the film world, courtesy of the Navy, where he made documentaries, before jumping into TV.

Continue reading Paul Verhoeven Talks ‘Elle,’ ‘RoboCop’ As Jesus Metaphor, The Infamous Scene In ‘Basic Instinct’ & More [Interview] at The Playlist.

Hollywood doesn’t make movies like Paul Verhoeven used to anymore. As bombastic, exploitative and hyper-violent as they can sometimes be, his films are goofy, sensationalized and fearless in a pointedly satirical way. Just compare their remakes to their originals: 2012’s “Total Recall” doesn’t hold a candle to Verhoeven’s original 1990 sci-fi oddity, and the same can said for 1986’s “Robocop” and its forgettable 2014 remake.

Continue reading Vintage Documentary ‘Flesh + Steel – The Making Of RoboCop’ Goes Behind The Scenes Of Paul Verhoeven’s Classic at The Playlist.

We’re in a time where Hollywood creatives believe that every blockbuster needs a strong dose of seriousness, a firm measure of grim attitude that is often mistaken as a way of bringing stakes into a movie. This often comes at the expense of humor or even levity, turning these movies that cost hundreds of million of dollars into one-dimensional, one-note slogs. And for director Paul Verhoeven, who has seen two of his successful, satiric, funny and entertaining movies — “RoboCop” and “Total Recall” — given contemporary remakes, he believes that single-minded approach is the wrong-footed move that doomed those pictures.

Continue reading Paul Verhoeven Says “Playing It Straight” Was The Mistake Made By ‘RoboCop’ & ‘Total Recall’ Remakes at The Playlist.

It’s a tale as old as time: a director making their first big league Hollywood movie, studio executives trying to shepherd a valuable IP to franchise spawning success, and the inevitable conflict of commerce versus creativity that follows. More often than not, it leads to final product where an unclear vision and compromised ideals are fully visible, and that was certainly true of 2014’s failed “RoboCop,” the remake of Paul Verhoeven‘s action classic, directed by Jose Padilha (“Elite Squad,” “Narcos“).

Continue reading Jose Padilha Says He Spent “90% Of The Time Fighting” On The ‘RoboCop’ Remake at The Playlist.

Though he’s kept a lower profile over the past few years, Paul Verhoeven returned to possibly Oscar contending glory in 2016 with “Elle,” which played at this year’s Cannes Film Festival (our own critic Jessica Kiang called it “fearless” and “rivetingly unsavory”). And while he’s since left Hollywood, there was a time when the Dutch director filmmaker was a force to be reckoned with the industry: a polarizing creative figure who was also a veritable sultan of sleaze.

Continue reading NSFW Supercut Celebrates The Action & Sleaze In The Films Of Paul Verhoeven at The Playlist.

Sony Will Reportedly Hear Your Idea For A 'RoboCop' Sequel

Continue reading Sony Will Reportedly Hear Your Idea For A ‘RoboCop’ Sequel at The Playlist.

Watch: 3-Minute Lowlight Reel Of The Worst Special Effects Ever

Continue reading Watch: 3-Minute Lowlight Reel Of The Worst Special Effects Ever at The Playlist.

Nicolas Winding Refn Says Jason Statham & Guy Pearce Turned Down ‘Bronson,’ Talks Influence Of Stanley Kubrick And More

Continue reading Nicolas Winding Refn Says Jason Statham & Guy Pearce Turned Down ‘Bronson,’ Talks Influence Of Stanley Kubrick And More at The Playlist.

Nicolas Winding Refn Presents Series Is Releasing The ‘RoboCop’ Soundtrack On Vinyl

Continue reading Nicolas Winding Refn Presents Series Is Releasing The ‘RoboCop’ Soundtrack On Vinyl at The Playlist.

Joel Kinnaman Says 'RoboCop' Should've Been R-Rated, Is Not A Fan Of Terrence Malick's "Detached" Shooting Style

Continue reading Joel Kinnaman Says ‘RoboCop’ Should’ve Been R-Rated, Is Not A Fan Of Terrence Malick’s “Detached” Shooting Style at The Playlist.