RoboCop Prequel Series in the works

[Pennywise]

Exclusive : MGM working on RoboCop series focusing on young Dick Jones

But when Moviehole.net recently talked to Neumeier about his life, times and career, he dropped a thrilling bombshell about a completely different project, a ”RoboCop”-adjacent TV series about the rise of Omni Consumer Products and Dick Jones, the slimy vice president played so brilliantly by Ronny Cox in the original film. Think Gotham, but set in Delta City…



How did the idea come about and what stage is it at?

I’m working at MGM on it. It has all the cool stuff about RoboCop except no RoboCop.

I’m working with these two writers, Dave Parkin and Rob Gibbs, who bought this idea to a TV producer friend of mine, who then brought it to me. The first time I heard it I knew it was a cool idea because I could see a lot of things you could do with it. It’s such an interesting character.

Will it be satirical about politics and society like the movie was?

There’s the idea of doing things about business and law enforcement in the city of Detroit a minute-and-a-half in the future, it would be a way to do all sorts of stories about business and tech, Silicon Valley, corporations, snakes in suits, cops, all that. It’s a wonderful rich tapestry.

So we’ve been talking about it and I think we have an interesting story. It’s fun to work with a younger version of the Dick Jones we meet in RoboCop. He’s an actualised corporate predator [in the move] but nobody necessarily starts out being the bad guy.

So it’s going to be about the evolution of Richard Jones to Dick Jones, the story of OCP and how the world moves into the future, how the corporate world behaves.

Do you have a formal go ahead?

With any luck, if MGM is willing, if we can find the partners, if we can get this pilot made, if we can convince a bunch of people – it’s amazing how many people you have to convince – if that all works out maybe we’ll get a TV show up.

Ronny Cox would be a hard act to follow.

He’s great, and to actually know where you’re going with this, to know that’s who he becomes is fun for the writers to work with. They’ve come up with a whole back story I never did.

Was there a real world inspiration you can draw from again?

In truth Dick Jones was based on an alcoholic landlord or real estate agent I had when I was writing RoboCop. He seemed very old to me but he was probably younger than I am now. He always wore a grey suit and he was always really drunk, walking-around drunk. He had this weird name, Dick Jones, which just seemed very old fashioned.

So all I knew about the character was that he was going to be this corporate predator and his name was going to be Dick Jones. When I met these two writers they asked about his back story and I just shrugged because I didn’t have one. They’ve come up with a whole back story for him.

Hmmm.

 

[Vigilante LXXXV]

Very interesting. Will have to keep up with updates for this

 

[Dave McFly]

well in that cheesy 4 part RoboCop mini series Prime Directives you saw the events leading up to Murphy transferring to the station he was at in the first movie so it would be neat to see stuff like this maybe near the end of the run

 

[DarkKnight88]

So nothing to do with the actual RoboCop? Pass.

I hate these series prequels. Such a bad trend.

 

[Erik20]

So nothing to do with the actual RoboCop? Pass.

I hate these series prequels. Such a bad trend.

It doesn't sound like a great idea... but who knows, maybe it ends up being something like Better Call Saul.

You probably have to forget about the character RoboCop to enjoy this. (because you'll never see him) I certainly hope this won't be another Gotham, and they kind of tease RoboCop with early prototypes throughout the seasons...

 

[Drizzle]

So nothing to do with the actual RoboCop? Pass.

I hate these series prequels. Such a bad trend.

A Robocop prequel without Robocop just seems like a dull idea. It reminds me of that Patton Oswalt bit about the Star Wars prequels. "I don't give a **** where the stuff I love comes from, I just love the stuff I love!"

 

[TheVileOne]

It sounds f'n terrible. Dick Jones was the bad guy and a pretty irredeemable scumbag.

 

[Silvermoth]

Technically aren’t we living the robocop prequel? Anyway it’ll be cool if they can find a way to bring in those giant robot things from the original. Maybe give them the ability to climb stairs this time