Prime Video Orders New Robocop TV Series From Blumhouse Atomic Monster

The iconic sci-fi action franchise, Robocop, is making a comeback. A new television series reboot is currently in the works from Blumhouse Atomic Monster, per The Hollywood Reporter.

The new series has been greenlit for eight episodes for Amazon’s Prime Video, with Peter Ocko attached as showrunner. It will be executive produced by James Wan, Michael Clear, and Rob Hackett. The project was first announced as being in development three years ago.

The classic 1987 original movie was directed by Paul Verhoeven. Set in the futuristic crime-ridden Detroit, police officer Alex Murphy is shot to death in the line of duty. He’s then rebuilt into a law enforcement cyborg by the mega-corporation Omni Consumer Products. Eventually, Murphy begins to rediscover his memories and identity, seeking retribution against the men who murdered him. He becomes a vessel of justice, part man, part machine, all cop.

Speaking on the series green light, James Wan commented, “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.” He continued, “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.”

Amazon MGM Studios Head of Global TV Peter Friedlander also commented, “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.” Friedlander adds, “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.”

Robocop Has Long History With TV Reboots and Adaptations

This won’t be the first TV adaptation for the iconic franchise. Marvel Productions produced an animated TV series in 1988. The first live-action series was the syndicated show produced in 1994, which only lasted for one season. In 1998, the franchise received another animated adaptation with Robocop: Alpha Commando, which lasted for one season and forty episodes.

In 2001, there was also a live-action miniseries, RoboCop: Prime Directors. In 2014, Sony Pictures released a 2014 theatrical reboot directed by José Padilha and starring Joel Kinnaman. It was a critical and commercial flop.

The original movie spawned two theatrical sequels, RoboCop 2 in 1990 and RoboCop 3 in 1993. The title character’s original actor only reprised his role for the 1990 sequel. More recently, Weller returned to voice the character again in the video game format, including for Mortal Kombat 11 as a guest DLC character, and the acclaimed 2023 video game, RoboCop: Rogue City, which acts as a direct sequel to the original movie.

Blumhouse Atomic Monster’s Robocop does not yet have a release date. It will stream exclusively on Prime Video later on.