After a lengthy development process, Amazon has officially greenlit the production of the series ‘RoboCop’, based on the MGM franchise of the same name. Showrunner Peter Ocko and Blumhouse Atomic Monster are working on the project. The plot of ‘RoboCop’ centers on a major technology corporation that persuades city officials to incorporate a powerful robot into the police force; the robot has been implanted with the consciousness of a police officer beloved by the city’s residents who died in the line of duty.

Back in April 2023, Deadline reported that ‘Robocop’ was among the first wave of MGM projects selected for adaptation into TV series. This list also included Legally Blonde, Barbershop, Stargate, The Magnificent Seven, and Poltergeist. And some other franchises, including The Pink Panther and The Thomas Crown Affair, are set to receive feature-length remakes in the future.

Work on the ‘Robocop’ series began to gain momentum in 2024, when Peter Ocko, known for “Lodge 49,” was invited to serve as screenwriter, executive producer, and showrunner. Horror film maestro James Wan joined as another executive producer. In addition, Ed Neumeier and Michael Miner, who wrote the screenplay for the original 1987 “Robocop” film directed by Paul Verhoeven, will join the executive production team.

“I’ve been a massive fan of ‘Robocop’ forever, so getting to help bring this world to television is a dream,” Wan said. “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. With Peter’s distinctive vision and bold approach to storytelling, and alongside Ed and our partners at Amazon MGM Studios, 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.”

The sci-fi franchise ‘Robocop’ tells the story of Detroit police officer Alex Murphy, who is fatally wounded while on duty and is transformed into a cyborg known as Robocop. The role was played by Peter Weller. The sequel was released in 1990, and the third installment in 1993. In 2014, another ‘Robocop’ movie hit the screens, which was a remake of the original film.

This spectacular action film with cyberpunk elements was, from the outset, a social satire, as it criticized corporate greed and raised questions about the nature of human identity. Now, as robotics and AI are advancing at a breakneck pace, the conflict between humans and technology – and the question of the consequences of unchecked corporate power – will become even more relevant.

“Robocop is a franchise that has meant something to audiences for nearly four decades – not just as an action spectacle, but as a sharp, provocative mirror of our relationship with technology and power,” said Peter Friedlander, Head of Global Television, Amazon MGM Studios. “Peter Ocko has crafted a vision that honors the soul of what made the original so enduring while building something entirely fresh and urgent for today. Paired with the cinematic sensibility of James Wan and the team at Blumhouse Atomic Monster, we believe this series will captivate a whole new generation of fans on Prime Video.”

Green light for ‘RoboCop’: Amazon orders the series and reveals new details

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