Darren Aronofsky Talks RoboCop Remake Exclusive: Director talks reinvention
Empire spoke to the great Darren Aronofsky the other day, when he came to town to show off The Wrestler at the LFF. Naturally, we tried to wrestle some info out of him on his forthcoming remake of RoboCop, for MGM.
“It's a real reinvention,” he told us, responding to those rumours that the movie would somehow follow on or be a direct sequel to Paul Verhoeven's 1987 original. “Me and David Self are working on the screenplay. He's a great, great writer and we're trying to do something new and fresh. We'll see what happens when the screenplay comes.”
He wouldn't be drawn, though, on which elements would be carried over from the cyberpunk classic, or if room would be made for the original Murphy – Peter Weller – to make a cameo.
“There'll be...” he started to say, before Prime Directive 4 (“classified”) kicked in and moved him onto safer, vaguer ground. “I'm a big fan of the original. It still holds up as an amazing film, and I think it's more just looking at that same type of material in the 21st century and seeing where it leads us.”
There are few remakes that excite Empire, but this is one of them. Aronofsky is a true visionary, and it's going to be fascinating to see what he can do with this material. We're guessing less splatter, more angst, but either way, it should be gold.
L: Mason Verger
L: The Hooded Man
The best news I have heard in a while. The last thing Aaronofsky needs is to sell out.
He was probably only doing it because he needed a commercial hit. The success of stlerthat he no longer needs to.
sp;
is he still up to direct or just produce? ... Read More
L: The Hooded Man
The best news I have heard in a while. The last thing Aaronofsky needs is to sell out.
sp;
He was probably only doing it because he needed a commercial hit. The success of stlerthat he no longer needs to. ... Read More
By the way, here is the link to that A.D Police Episode for anyone who's interested. It's on youtube in 4 parts - k=http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=P-zofxXMSL8]CLICK] ... Read More
There is a segment from the Manga anime 'A.D. Police' where a similar cop-to-robot tranformation happens and the human brain starts to go crazy inside the mechanical body. The only thing he can do to 'feel' is to grind his human tongue between his teeth and eventually goes mental.
I think a similar sort of exceptionally dark concept would be very interesting to explore, but it shouldn't be called 'RoboCop'. ... Read More
L: Monkeyshaver
But Robocop IS a satire.
sp;
Paul Verhoeven's film a satire, and a great one (ditto Robocop 2) but I'd be interested in the story of a half machine half cop going in a different direction.
Not a remake though but a sequel. ... Read More
L: Tech_Noir
asterpiece, we all know that, but I still think there's loads of potential for interesting sequels.
I also don't see anything wrong with letting go of the satire and making it a dark horror/thriller.
Robocop IS a satire. & lets face it the powers that be don't want a dark horror/thriller they want as wide an audience as possible so this remake will probably be a heavily sanitised version. I can't imagine them having a little kid gangster running around with a gun k... Read More
asterpiece, we all know that, but I still think there's loads of potential for interesting sequels.
I also don't see anything wrong with letting go of the satire and making it a dark horror/thriller. ... Read More
Well, that's a nice, optimistic approch. Unfortunately, all these pointless remakes smakck of , yes, yes, Hollywood running out of ideas, and whilst I understand that during the current economic climate, the movie 'business' needs to make more safe money making movies, like the Michael Bay type blockbusters.
RoboCop is a perfectly structured movie and is a perfect example of the '80s uber-violent cyber punk genre and has no need to be updated. The chances that Aronifsky has dr... Read More
Let me put it this way - I hope my way of thinking is closer to the truth than yours, otherwise we're all in for a shitty few years of movies.... ... Read More
L: Mr Terrific
Making a remake is an easy option, built in fanbase, throw in formulaic trailer with things blowing up and stuff et volia....bums on seats.
igh. I agree with that part of your point. MY point is:
Robocop - Directed by Uwe Boll = no bums on seats, no matter how 'safe' the franchise.
Robocop - Directed by Darren Aronofsky = much more bums on seats than if you'd hired the above bum instead...
You see? Safe franchises and properties I can see.&n... Read More
