Today sees the release of the RoboCop remake on Blu-ray and DVD, and to celebrate, RoboCop himself will be making an appearance in Detroit to throw the first pitch a the Tigers game. However, plans to unveil the crowd-funded RoboCop memorial statue have been postponed.
ESPN reports the cyborg anti-hero RoboCop will be stepping onto the field at Comerica Park today to throw the first pitch as the Detroit Tigers host the Toronto Blue Jays. It's a part of the RoboCop Day celebration in Detroit, where both the remake and the original RoboCop were set. Adding to the fanfare, the motorcycle from the movie will be on display at the stadium, and the first 10,000 fans will be given a RoboCop poster as a free gift, with other surprises promised throughout the game.
Though unspecified in the ESPN piece, it seems likely that it will be the revamped RoboCop of the 2014 version, not the 1987 version, that will be taking to the field today. After all, RoboCop's cameo at the game is meant to promote the remake's DVD release. Who will be filling out the suit is unknown, but as no mention is made of RoboCop 2014's star Joel Kinnaman in ESPN's article, we assume it won't be him.
Compare the two looks of Peter Weller's 1987 RoboCop to Joel Kinnaman's 2014 RoboCop.
RoboCop Day was meant to be a celebration that stretched beyond Comerica Park with the debut unveiling of a bronze statue commemorating the 1987 RoboCop. Following conflicting reports, Digital Trends contacted the actual Detroit Police Department to ask about the proposed event, and discovered they had been cancelled. No cause was given.
Since then, Fox Home Entertainment has issued a press release that explains this is more a raincheck than a cancellation. The statement offers:
"Please be advised, ROBOCOP’s Prime Directives have changed and today's scheduled presentation and statue announcement at the Detroit Police Department has been cancelled. We know that fans have been eagerly awaiting news on the effigy honoring one of Detroit’s finest and we look forward to sharing those details in the near future."
The RoboCop statue began as a joke on Twitter, where the city's Mayor explained there were no plans for such a statue to be erected. This seemed like a great idea to many though, and soon a Kickstarter was kickstarted to make this ceremonial statue a reality. By May of 2013, the artist hired for the project was well into the construction of the huge full-bodied recreation of Peter Weller's 1987 RoboCop. At the time, it was estimated the project would be completed by the end of summer 2014. Of course, it's only the start of summer now, so while no official statement has been made about why the statue unveiling was called off, the simple answer could be it just wasn't ready for its big day.
But RoboCop Day festivities will still extend beyond the Tigers game. 2014 RoboCop will be making other stops around Detroit. For updates follow @FoxHomeEnt or checkout #ROBOCOPDay.
