RoboCop: Dan Stevens to star in the new series
Initial details about the premise of the reboot are already available
The lead actor for the new "RoboCop" series has been cast. Dan Stevens will take on the role of Alex Murphy, aka RoboCop, according to Deadline.
About a month ago, Prime Video officially commissioned the new series adaptation of the famous sci-fi action story. It was also revealed that "RoboCop" will initially consist of eight episodes. It remains to be seen whether additional episodes or even more seasons will follow. Initial details about the premise of the "RoboCop" reboot are already available. As in the original 1987 film, the story once again centers on a law enforcement officer who is half-human, half-machine. An official description of the story reads:
"A giant tech conglomerate convinces the city to place a powerful robot on its police force – a robot implanted with the consciousness of a beloved, fallen officer."
Dan Stevens to play the new RoboCop
With Dan Stevens, the series has now secured an actor who already has numerous film and television roles under his belt. Among his best-known films is the live-action adaptation of Disney's "Beauty and the Beast." The film became a massive box office hit, grossing $1.2 billion at the global box office, which undoubtedly gave Stevens' career another boost – after all, he didn't just play any role in it, but that of the titular Beast. TV series fans will likely remember him best as the lead actor in "Legion." He appeared in three seasons of the comic book adaptation centered on the eponymous Marvel character from 2017 to 2019. "Legion" was highly acclaimed by critics and also helped Stevens establish himself as a star in the eyes of a global audience.
With his role in "RoboCop," he is now following in the footsteps of Peter Weller, who played the protagonist Alex Murphy – aka RoboCop – in Paul Verhoeven's original film. The film remains hugely popular to this day and once served as the starting point for an entire franchise that has continued over the years in the form of additional films, TV series, and comics. Twelve years ago, a remake of the same name directed by José Padilha was also released in theaters.
The creators of the RoboCop series
The creative minds behind the "RoboCop" series reboot have already been announced. Peter Ocko is on board as writer, executive producer, and showrunner. He has previously worked on series such as "Pushing Daisies" and "The Leftovers," among others. James Wan, director of several box-office hits such as "Saw," "Insidious," and "Aquaman," is also on board. On "RoboCop," he serves as an executive producer alongside Ocko, Michael Clear, Rob Hackett, Michael Miner, and Ed Neumeier. Miner and Neumeier are particularly familiar with the material: the two of them once wrote the screenplay for Verhoeven's first "RoboCop" film.
James Wan recently commented on some central themes of the "RoboCop" franchise. He was quoted by Variety as saying:
"I've been a massive fan of 'Robocop' forever, so getting to help bring this world to television is a dream. What Paul Verhoeven created in 1987 was decades ahead of its time, and its questions about technology, identity, and who corporations really serve have only grown more urgent. [...] We're working to honor what made the original iconic and highlight its relevancy in this modern, tech-driven world, while building something unmistakably new for a global audience."
Will the creators of the new "RoboCop" series succeed in doing this? We'll see. In any case, we're excited to see how Dan Stevens will fare in the role of Alex Murphy.
