Produced by Columbia Pictures, the film stars Joel Kinnaman as the eponymous cop, with Gary Oldman, Michael Keaton, Abbie Cornish and Samuel L. Jackson also starring.
Set in 2009, depicts technology manufactuer Omnicorp, who are at the forefront of developing robots capable of winning wars around the world, and whom save former policeman Alex Murphy’s life.
The new Robocop film, set in 2029, promises to have a political edge; America’s controversial use of Predator Drones to take out enemy combatants throughout the world is being dramatised, with drones being used on American soil in the film.
An Oxford graduate in international politics, Padilha came to international recognition with his Rio de Janeiro favela-thrillers Elite Squad and Elite Squad: The Enemy Within.
Josh Zetumer and Nick Schenk wrote the screenplay, based on the 1987 film written by Edward Neumeier & Michael Miner.
Padilha said: “It’s exciting to think that we’re going to be starting production on RoboCop. I have a dream cast and an incredibly creative production team, and we are all supremely dedicated, working together to make a movie that will not only live alongside the first film but also break new ground, be relevant for modern audiences and stand on its own.”
StudioCanal will release RoboCop in the UK on 9 August 2013.
