After a few more on-set photos of the RoboCop remake were leaked online, news got a bit worse for the film. Yesterday, Sony Pictures officially moved its release date from August 9, 2013 to February 7, 2014. Another science-fiction action picture, Elysium, will take its place on that late-summer weekend. After several shots of RoboCop’s redesigned suits were passed around online, fans have already expressed consternation over the creative direction of the remake. A move to February – normally the doldrums of the move release schedule – shouldn’t inspire much confidence in the picture either.
Under the direction of Jose Pahilla (best known for the critically-acclaimed Brazilian action movie Elite Squad,) the remake stars Joel Kinnaman, Abbie Cornish, Gary Oldman, Samuel L. Jackson, and Michael Keaton. A leaked version of the script received some harsh reviews back in August, and the re-design of the suit (which is a little too reminiscent of Batman’s duds in The Dark Knight) has also divided fans. Hopefully, a six-month extension will give the studio time to improve any creative reservations about the movie.
The move for Elysium, on the other hand, should inspire even more excitement for sci-fi fans. The much-anticipated follow-up to District 9 from director Neill Blomkamp centers on an interstellar conflict between space station-dwelling upper class and the poorer proletariat who are consigned to Earth. Starring Matt Damon and Jodie Foster, the film was originally scheduled to appear in theaters on March 1, 2013. A move to August, however, will give the movie a little exposure. Its release in the first weekend of August also mirrors the release strategy for District 9, which grossed $115 million back in 2009.
Meanwhile, the latest on-set photos revealed another of RoboCop’s many vehicles. This time, fans snapped images of the official police cruiser; a Ford Taurus (the same model as in the original movie, albeit with a bit of a design refresh.) Check out the photo below.
