Short Circuit Remake In The Works

Number Five is still alive! Deadline reports that Spyglass Media Group is gearing up to produce a remake of the 1986 film Short Circuit. Writers Eduardo Cisneros and Jason Shuman will pen the script for the film which the trade notes will "put a Latinx twist on the screenplay." As movie fans might recall, the original film focused on a military robot who is struck by lightning and gains sentience, leading an interest in life, learning, and staying away from his Army obligations. James Vanderbilt, Paul Neinstein and William Sherak of Project X Entertainment will produce with Rehab Entertainment's John W. Hyde executive producing, filling the same role he had on the original film as well.

Saturday Night Fever and WarGames director John Badham helmed the original film which was penned by S. S. Wilson and Brent Maddock who also wrote *batteries not included, Tremors, and Wild Wild West. The original Short Circuit starred Ally Sheedy and Steve Guttenberg with Tim Blaney, best known for voicing Frank the Pug in the Men in Black franchise, voicing the robot Johnny-5. Fisher Stevens appearing in the movie as well, his role a controversial one due to the fact he was playing an Indian character and seemingly wearing brown face. The success of the original film saw a sequel be produced two years later, Stevens and his controversial character was among the only returning cast members.

Attempts at remaking Short Circuit have been made before with Dimension Films trying back in 2008. Various filmmakers and writers were attached over the years with the final being Tim Hill in 2011, as we know that version never made it off the ground.

What's unclear about this new versions if how it will relate, if at all, to the two original films. Though '80s nostalgia remains at an all-time high, it seems unlikely that fondness for the original Short Circuit matches that enthusiasm (especially with the brownface) but it's entirely possible that the two movies could still be considered canon for this new film. As fans may recall, Short Circuit 2 ended with Johnny-5 being granted United States Citizenship, while also now fully gold rather than just steel. Perhaps this could play into the "Latinx twist on the screenplay" as mentioned above.

The two production companies, Spyglass and Project X, are already working on another franchise revival at the moment as shooting continues on the new Scream movie. That film., the fifth in the series, is scheduled for release on January 14, 2022.