Gary Oldman Joins Cast Of RoboCop Remake

Man, this is the best news I’ve heard all month!

The original “RoboCop” by director Paul Verhoeven and starring Peter Weller in the title role is a firm favourite here at Electroshadow. When a remake was announced, we weren’t convinced it would be anything more than a cash grab by the studio. It came across as yet another remake with little care or thought put in to really make it a worthy effort in its own right. There was a slight glimmer of hope when Jose Padilha (“Elite Squad”) signed on as the director, but then Joel Kinnaman was announced as Officer Alex Murphy/RoboCop and hearts sank a little. He’s just not seen as a very good choice, although to be fair actor should always be given the chance to prove themselves.

But today, The Hollywood Reporter scooped a great piece of casting news. Oscar-nominated actor and all-round living legend Gary Oldman has officially signed on for the remake. He’ll play the role of Norton, a scientist who invents the cyborg technology that brings the slain cop back to life. According to the report, Norton, a character who did not appear in the 1987 film, will have to deal with the morality of saving Murphy’s life and the demands of the company that he works for.

Personally, I’m really glad they got an actor of Oldman’s calibre. The project needs a respected name, and he will definitely bring a gravitas to the character. My guess is that there will be some some sort of Frankensteinian or father figure subtext going on between Norton and Murphy. Oldman’s Academy Award nod was last year’s excellent “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy” and he’ll of course be back on the big screen shortly as Commissioner Gordon in “The Dark Knight Rises”. Both his thespian and geek credentials are equally strong.

Previously, Padilha told Comingsoon.net about his take on the material: “In the first ‘RoboCop’ when Alex Murphy is shot, gunned down, then you see some hospitals and stuff and then you cut to him as RoboCop. My movie is between those two cuts. How do you make RoboCop? How do you slowly bring a guy to be a robot? How do you actually take humanity out of someone and how do you program a brain, so to speak, and how does that affect an individual?”

“RoboCop” is scheduled to premiere 9th August 2013.