Everyone's favorite cyborg law enforcement official is headed back to the big screen. The MGM company is going to go forth with "Robocop Returns," a sequel to the 2014 film. Their hope is for a revival of the franchise which has now spanned over 30 years. The good news is they have a director at the helm who was responsible for a critically-acclaimed sci-fi film about a decade ago. That could potentially translate into a great sci-fi romp at the theaters.

New 'Robocop' movie details

According to Deadline, Neill Blomkamp will direct the anticipated sequel.

Blomkamp is best known for his 2009 sci-fi film "District 9." That film was nominated for four different Academy Awards including Adapted Screenplay which Blomkamp was part of with Terri Tatchell. "District 9" was also one of the contenders for the Best Picture Oscar award that year.

Blomkamp was quoted as saying the original movie "had a massive effect on him." He mentioned that the themes of that original film have "evolved over time," but that the "story can work in any time period." Blomkamp said that "human connection" is what makes this movie concept work over 30 years later.

This new "Robocop" sequel will have its initial script rewritten, but not by Blomkamp.

Originally Ed Neumeier and Michael Miner wrote a sequel several years ago. However, Justin Rhodes is on board for the re-write. He is also behind the script for a new "Terminator" film. Neumeier and Miner will now be producing and executive producing the new "Robocop" film.

Beyond those details, not much else is known except for a short plot synopsis from Comic Book:

"Anarchy reigns and the fate of Detroit hangs in the balance as RoboCop makes his triumphant return to fight crime and corruption."

There haven't been too many tidbits revealed about who will appear in the cast, and they have not revealed a release date for the "Robocop" sequel.

The 2014 film was a remake of the original from 1987 set in the year 2028. It was also rated PG-13. That movie had actor Joel Kinnaman in the title role. It also included award-winning actors such as Gary Oldman, Michael Keaton, and Samuel L. Jackson.

'RoboCop' franchise

The original "RoboCop" film dropped back in 1987 and was directed by Paul Verhoeven.

Peter Weller was among the cast members in the movie which was considered a box office success. It cost just $13 million in terms of budget and turned out a revenue of just over $53 million.

"RoboCop" told the story of a cop (Weller) in Detroit, Michigan who was killed while in the line of duty. However, scientists used technology to revive him as a cyborg law enforcement official. From there, he was used to try to clean up crime thanks to his hi-tech nature. The movie had plenty of other themes tied to it thanks to Verhoeven, including corruption, human nature, privatization, and dystopia.

Due to all of that, "RoboCop" was critically-acclaimed and a hit back in 1987. Due to the graphic violence, it was also set to receive an X rating, but managed to get into the R rating category.

That certainly helped generate buzz in seeing why this film was so controversial for its time. It also led to deleted scenes appearing on the newer Blu-Ray and DVD releases.

Of course, the 1987 film's success led to two sequels as well, including "RoboCop 2" in 1990 and "RoboCop 3" in 1993. Of those, the third film received the worst reviews but was also the first of the films to receive a PG-13 rating.

The 2014 remake received mixed reviews from critics and viewers. One can only hope that having a director like Neill Blomkamp on board will give this franchise the necessary boost it needs to stay relevant in today's market.
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