The actor has will take the lead in Amazon's update of the sci-fi series.
By James Hibberd
Dan Stevens is the new RoboCop.
The Downton Abbey and Legion actor has been cast in Prime Video‘s TV series reboot of the iconic 1987 movie.
Stevens with play police officer Alex Murphy and his cyborg alter ego in the series.
The new Robocop will be an eight-episode series from showrunner Peter Ocko (Lodge 49) and executive producers James Wan, Michael Clear and Rob Hackett. The project was first announced in development three years ago. The show is from Blumhouse Atomic Monster.
The original 1987 RoboCop film from director Paul Verhoeven told the story of a crime-ridden Detroit where a fatally injured police officer is rebuilt into a mechanical superhero. The film was acclaimed for its satirical take on corporate America. Ed Neumeier and Michael Miner — co-creators and co-writers of the original — will also serve as executive producers.
From the official series order description: “Since its debut in 1987, Robocop has endured as one of the most iconic and culturally significant franchises in science fiction. What began as a bold social satire — blending visceral action with a critique of corporate greed, privatization, and the nature of identity — has resonated across generations, spawning sequels, television series, video games and comic books. Its themes of humanity versus technology and the consequences of unchecked corporate power feel more relevant today than ever, making it the ideal property to reimagine for a new era of television.”
“I’ve been a massive fan of RoboCop forever, so getting to help bring this world to television is a dream,” said Wan. “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.”
There have been many efforts to expand RoboCop into a franchise before. A 12-episode animated TV series was released by Marvel Productions in 1988. There were two modest sequel films, 1990’s RoboCop 2 and 1993’s RoboCop 3. In 1994, there was a short-lived RoboCop TV series, and in 2001 there was a live-action miniseries, RoboCop: Prime Directives. Perhaps the best-known reboot is 2014’s RoboCop film starring Joel Kinnaman.
