Josh Zetumer Hired To Script 'RoboCop' Reboot

And the RoboCop reboot takes one more ED-209 sized step forward. MGM has hired Josh Zetumer to write the new version of the film that Elite Squad director Jose Padilha will helm for the studio.

The two will reportedly 'collaborate closely,' which is to be expected. This is another high profile gig for Josh Zetumer, who has been part of a lot of big development deals — he wrote a draft of Dune, a fourth Bourne movie and a black list script called Infiltrator — but hasn't yet had a film produced with his name on it. (He did script work on The Darkest Hour, but I don't think he'll be credited there.)

So Josh Zetumer will be an unknown to many of you. Indeed, this whole RoboCop remake is a mystery in general. We don't know what direction the script will take, though the background of Jose Padilha suggests that we could get a movie that is even more gritty than Paul Verhoeven's unimpeachable original, if without quite the same sort of biting satirical edge. That's probably a good way to go about it, as strictly replicating the tone and look of the original would be madness.

Jose Padilha has proven more than once that he can handle the characters, the action and the atmosphere of a city lost to crime that will all be part of RoboCop — if anything, his film might start out a lot more bleak than the original. (Which was pretty damn bleak to begin with.) Josh Zetumer should work well with him when it comes to the characters, and in devising a setpiece or two. Very curious to see how this one turns out, but so far MGM seems to be going about it in the right way. [Deadline]

(And, no, Peter Weller is not likely to be part of this version of the story, but I couldn't resist using that image of him one more time.)