MGM Recharging Robocop

In a press release announcing the appointment of Mary Parent as chairperson of its worldwide motion picture group, Metro-Goldwyn Mayer Studios (MGM) confirmed that it has Robocop reboot in the works. The franchise is listed among the projects that will represent a new phase of the studio’s evolution. MGM is also looking to get more mileage out of the Pink Panther and Death Wish properties, while making big-screen adaptations of J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and the classic sci-fi anthology series The Outer Limits.

Directed by Paul Verhoeven, the original Robocop debuted in theaters in 1987 and became a surprise hit that spawned two sequels. Set in a futuristic Detroit, the film starred Peter Weller as a police officer gunned down in the line of duty, only to be bought back to life as an elite, crime-fighting cyborg. The first two installments featured stop-motion animation effects created by vfx guru Phil Tippett. The remake is likely to rely heavily on CG animation and other effects.

MGM’s fall and winter release schedule includes the new James Bond movie, Quantum of Solace, and Pink Panther 2 with Steve Martin returning to the role of Inspector Clouseau. The studio will also release United Artists’ Valkyrie, a war-time thriller starring Tom Cruise, on Oct. 3. Other remakes in the works include an update of musical Fame.