We know Samuel L Jackson has a close relationship with technology. He has those giant flat screens on the equally giant floating aircraft carrier he commands as Nick Fury. And he seems to rely on the iPhone’s Siri system to help him cook. He’s likely to have to have a more contentious time with a particular use of hardware when he joins the Robocop remake.
Director Jose Padilha already has a Robocop in the shape of Joel Kinnaman, and now he’s busy surrounding him with some great actors. Gary Oldman signed up last month to play a scientist who helps convert Kinnaman’s cop Alex Murphy into the cyborg officer. Now Jackson is aboard as Pat Novak, described as a “charismatic TV mogul.”
From the sounds of it, the new take on Robocop, which features a script by James Vanderbilt, will tackle big media’s impact on our lives in a slightly different way to Paul Verhoeven and Ed Neumeier’s original. We wonder if the addition of a big telly mogul means there might be some nods towards Fox News and its ilk. There's certainly some ripe satire to be had there...
Robocop is gearing up to shoot in Toronto this September and should be targeting our cinemas next summer. On screen now in Avengers Assemble, Jackson will next crop up in Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained, which is out on January 18 next year.