Joel Kinnaman Speaks Out on What Went Wrong in His RoboCop Reboot
The actor thinks the tone of the experience could have been different.
Back in 2014, Joel Kinnaman starred as the titular character in a reboot of RoboCop, an experience that failed to excite fans or critics and was ultimately met with financial disappointment. Despite the visual effects advancing quite a bit since the original 1987 film, Kinnaman recently recalled how he can now see that one of the film's failures was that it didn't offer much in the way of satire, as opposed to the ways in which the original movie lambasted capitalism, the criminal justice system, and more. The actor also admitted that we would have injected more of himself into the project. Reports claim that both a new RoboCop movie and TV series are in development.
"It was a cool experience. I think if I would have done it now, I think I would have inserted myself more into it," Kinnaman confirmed to ComicBook.com while promoting his new film Silent Night. "I love [director] José's [Padilha] concept into it. The one thing, I think, was lacking in that film, I like to be self-critical, I think that it was one of those films where I think, we who made it didn't fully take into account what RoboCop was for the fans. Tonally, that sort of [Paul] Verhoeven satire, because it's so ingrained in the RoboCop franchise and its being. It's different when a new filmmaker comes in and puts his voice on it, and José had a very clear image of what he wanted to do, it was an anti-Empirialistic take, and I think that movie would have done better if we had listened more to the fans beforehand. But I think it stands alone ... I almost think the RoboCop film we did would have been a better movie if it wouldn't have been named 'RoboCop.'"
While the successful entries into the franchise were known for being gritty and violent, the 2014 reboot was a more accessible experience, toning down its subject matter to earn a PG-13 rating. Kinnaman previously admitted that even he assumed that project would be R-rated when he first took the gig.
"That was the first big movie I did," Kinnaman explained of the experience to The Playlist back in 2021. "I had to quell all my instincts for everything over the course of that film. I'm like, 'Why am I wearing a black suit? That doesn't make any sense at all.'"
He continued, "The first interview I did for RoboCop, and it was right after I was cast … I got the first questions for RoboCop, and the question was, 'So, is it going to be R-rated?' And I was like, 'Of course, it's going to be R-rated! Only an idiot would make RoboCop a PG-13 movie.' Cut to the next morning — 47 missed calls I woke up to."
Kinnaman can next be seen in Silent Night, which hits theaters on December 1st.
The gritty revenge tale follows a tormented father (Kinnaman) who witnesses his young son die when caught in a gang's crossfire on Christmas Eve. While recovering from a wound that costs him his voice, he makes vengeance his life's mission and embarks on a punishing training regimen in order to avenge his son's death. Full of John Woo's signature style, Silent Night redefines the action genre with visceral, thrill-a-minute storytelling.
With virtually no dialogue throughout the entire film (hence the film's title, coupled with a Christmas Eve setting), Silent Night is, in a sense, a modern-day silent film -- mixing elements of A Quiet Place meets Peppermint meets Drive -- into one insanely unexpected, immersive experience. Woo, the master of action, showcases Kinnaman's intensely emotional acting chops and deftly balances a gripping core family story, before diving into a whirlwind of guns-a-blazing fight scenes and Fast and Furious-style car chases.
Silent Night hits theaters on December 1st. Stay tuned for details on the future of RoboCop.
What do you think of the actor's remarks? Let us know in the comments!