Neill Blomkamp No Longer Directing RoboCop Reboot

And just like that, the RoboCop reboot/sequel known as RoboCop Returns will need to find itself a new director. Neill Blomkamp, famous for his beloved sci-fi film District 9, was set to bring the new RoboCop to life, a partnership that seemed to be made in heaven. However, very late Wednesday night, Blomkamp took to Twitter to announce that he was no longer making RoboCop, leaving the position to someone else thanks to what appears to be a scheduling conflict.

Blomkamp Tweeted that he was “off RoboCop” because he was shooting a new movie that required his time. Since MGM is looking to start the film in the immediate future, it had to move forward with a new director.

“Off RoboCop,” Blomkamp wrote. “I am shooting new horror/thriller and MGM can’t wait/ need to shoot RoboCop now. Excited to watch it in theaters with other fans. N.”

So there is at lease a silver lining with this message. RoboCop Returns isn’t dead, or anywhere close to it. The movie is very much something that is happening and it seems to be a priority for the studio. It just won’t have Blomkamp at the helm, which is certainly disappointing.

Hopefully the framework of the film will stay the same, even after Blomkamp’s departure. RoboCop returns is said to be more of a direct sequel to the original 1987 movie, scrapping the story of the sequels and the 2014 reboot. Producer Ed Neumeier noted that the RoboCop Returns would aim to return to the gritty tone of Paul Verhoeven’s classic.

“Neill Blomkamp and his screenwriter Justin Rhodes have done a pass on the script we were writing on and they’re doing another one. It is a slightly different concept in some ways than we were originally doing,” the producer shared. “I don’t want to talk too much about it or somebody will call me and tell me to shut up, but we’re hopeful and I think Neill really really wants to make a good RoboCop movie. His idea is that it should be the proper Verhoeven… if Verhoeven had directed a movie right after RoboCop… I think that’s what he is trying to achieve, and I hope he does. We’ll see what happens next.”

Are you still looking forward to RoboCop Returns? Let us know in the comments!