Darren Aronofsky Explains The Collapse Of The Robocop Reboot
The ROBOCOP reboot was one of the big projects MGM was looking to get behind, but because of their financial issues, eventually the weight of that metallic cyborg suit and the budget that came with it was too much for the studio to really back. As they suffer through their woes, the plug was eventually pulled on the film, with director Darren Aronofsky, who was originally attached, walking away to focus on other projects, and the entire idea collapsing.
For some time, there were rumblings that the film never moved beyond where it was left due to a major disagreement between the director and the studio over how the film should be shot, with MGM pushing for 3-D in order to make extra money on the film and Aronofsky battling against it, because he was reportedly not a big fan of the format. Some believed that led to Aronofsky dropping the project due to creative differences, and then everything else just crumbled on top of that.
However, Aronofsky has now finally spoken out to MTV News to set the record straight on what led to his departure from a new ROBOCOP. “The studio is in question, as everyone knows, with ‘The Hobbit’ and all that stuff, and ‘Black Swan’ was ready to go,. It just became an easy decision… All that stuff with the 3-D. I don’t know where that came from. Actually, I do know where that came from. I did one Q&A and someone asked me about 3-D and it was before I saw Cameron’s film and I wasn’t that into it at the time. Someone connected that to ‘Robocop.’ There’s no truth to that story.”
In addition, he added the ol’ “We’ll see what happens with it down the line” when asked if he would return to the project if MGM can get their shit together. But that’s rather pointless with MGM really a lame duck at this point. Either someone’s going to buy them up, which is still a remote possibility in this economy with the price the debt holders are asking for, or the studio and its library will be sold off as parts, which puts the ROBOCOP reboot on shakier ground than it already was.
A ROBOCOP reboot is about as dead as dead can be right now, and The Kidd doesn’t see that changing any time soon. And, while I wasn’t looking forward to another ROBOCOP, even with Aronofsky attached, it really is a shame what a mess MGM is. How does a studio get run into the ground so badly that THE HOBBIT and James Bond can’t continue on as a result. That’s just sad.
