Not since August have we heard any new rumour associated with Neill Blomkamp’s new RoboCop project, when it was reported he was looking to get original star Peter Weller involved, apparently as Alex Murphy. However, according to a report at SuperBroMovies, Weller has opted against a return as the future of law enforcement.

Justin Rhodes (Terminator 6) is rewriting a script by Ed Neumeier and Michael Miner, who also wrote the original film. The pair wrote a sequel script after they wrote the original movie, but it never got made due to a writers strike and Verhoeven’s lack of interest in doing it. Two unrelated sequels followed, and a long time after came the 2014 reboot, but none of those told the story of the original follow-up idea. That script, and its ideas, lingered.

“Right when Trump was about to be elected president [MGM President Jon Glickman] called me and said, ‘Did you actually predict in your sequel script that a reality star would run for president and win?’ Neumeier told Deadline. “We had. So Mike and I wrote a draft and gave one interview in Barbados and I think the only person who read it was Neill Blomkamp, and that set this in motion.”

The reported plot synopsis is that “anarchy reigns and the fate of Detroit hangs in the balance as RoboCop makes his triumphant return to fight crime and corruption.” However, it’s unclear if this is a direct sequel, a straight reboot, or a bit of both. It seems like the latter.

Although the report doesn’t feature any specifics or comments from Weller, given that the actor is now 71 years old, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that he’s opted against putting the RoboCop suit on once more, for what will be undoubtedly a physically demanding role.

Scott Snowden is MyM’s US Editor. Follow him on Twitter.

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