Very few were excited by the idea of the brutal 1987 sci-fi classic RoboCop getting a remake already. Despite the distaste for such a thing, knowledge that Requiem for a Dream and The Wrestler director Darren Aronofsky would be helming the movie had us all very much intrigued by what we might see.
None of that matters anymore with word that the RoboCop remake is officially dead — another victim of MGM’s dire business situation. In an in-depth report on the financial disaster going on at MGM, the Financial Times touched on the project and how Aronofsky had already cut ties with it. Then at Comic-Con this weekend, Moviehole was able to grab someone from MGM and see where things currently stood. The answer says it all: “Gone. Kaput. Canceled. It was one of the first casualties. [Darren] has lost interest anyway, I believe. Think we’re all just going to have to be happy with the three RoboCop movies that are out there.”
The biggest title in this whole mess is of course the adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit. Director Guillermo del Toro was already forced to step away from the two-part movie due to the delays, and the worst-case-scenario would see it too being killed off. Another project that has been K.I.A. is James Bond 23, which had Daniel Craig and Sam Mendes set to deliver another intense adventure at the time of its demise.
Another remake that could find itself amongst the carnage is Red Dawn, and the source at MGM also noted that they had plans for more Rocky and Amityville Horror movies as well. In the Financial Times article it notes that the company spent a lot of money acquiring scripts and developing these projects but didn’t have any funds to actually make them.
Personally, the only one of all of these I need to happen is The Hobbit, and I’m sure I’m not alone there. Once again, all hope really rests with MGM finding another studio to come and buy them or save them. Once that happens, all doors may re-open.
There was a fourth one you know, RoboCop Prime Directives. It was made in Canada as a mini series.
Comment by Korollocke — July 27, 2010 @ 12:40 am
By cancelling the remake, they’re protecting the innocent, I’m sure.
Comment by unwesen — July 27, 2010 @ 7:16 am
Best news I’ve had since Joss Whedon got hired to direct the Avengers… there is NO need for remakes of good movies period!
Shame about Bond though, i was enjoying Craig’s tenure a lot…
Comment by Diego — July 27, 2010 @ 10:05 am
Thank God.
Comment by Doug E. Karate — July 28, 2010 @ 2:48 pm
RED DAWN is in post-production limbo
Comment by Herb Finn — July 29, 2010 @ 3:00 pm