It’s official, folks: we live in a world where RoboCop can be Colonel Sanders. Earlier today, KFC debuted several ads featuring the cybernetic hero promoting its fried chicken and protecting the secret recipe, complete with Peter Weller vocally reprising the character. Make no mistake, it’s a bizarre thing seeing RoboCop wearing the Colonel’s signature facial hair, glasses and bowtie, but now District 9 director Neill Blomkamp, who’s tackling the next RoboCop movie, has sent this peculiar tweet in response to the KFC ads.
What’s the problem here? Did KFC inadvertently pull from the story that Neill Blomkamp and writer Justin Rhodes have planned for RoboCop Returns? Is Blompkamp upset that RoboCop has sold out to fast food? Is he worried that a cyborg programmed to throw fried chicken at people will cause more good than bad? Or it is something as simple as Blomkamp thinking that this isn’t a good advertising campaign? Whatever the explanation, this Twitter post indicates that Blomkamp is not a fan of RoboCop filling the Colonel Sanders shoes. Would he have preferred The Terminator take on the mantle instead?
It’s worth mentioning that last November, it was reported that Peter Weller will not appear in RoboCop Returns, despite the fact that Neill Blomkamp that Weller was his top choice to play the part. It’s legitimately possible that Blomkamp is displeased that Weller turned down the opportunity to star in the upcoming movie, but he was willing to voice the character again for a fast food chain. If that is the case, I wouldn’t blame Blomkamp for being disappointed.
In any case, as far as we know, Neill Blomkamp’s RoboCop Returns is still moving ahead as planned. Rather than be a sequel to the 2014 RoboCop reboot, RoboCop Returns will be a sequel to the original 1987 RoboCop, but also ignore what happened in RoboCop 2 and RoboCop 3, which is the same kind of creative approach that last year’s Halloween and this November’s Terminator: Dark Fate used. Granted, most of RoboCop’s face is covered, so it’s easy enough to any actor in the Robo-suit, but it still would have been nice to see Peter Well properly play the character again since this sequel is set in the original RoboCop continuity.
Beyond that, RoboCop Returns will reportedly see the protagonist returning to Detroit to fight crime and corruption as anarchy reigns supreme in the city. Producer Ed Neumeier, who co-wrote the original RoboCop, said that this sequel will feel as if Paul Verhoeven had directed another RoboCop movie, suggesting that those who enjoyed the tone of the first story can look forward to RoboCop Returns channeling that same kind of energy. It’s probably also safe to assume that RoboCop won’t he touting any fried chicken during this new adventure.
Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for all the latest updates concerning RoboCop and other movie characters brought in to sell fast food. In the meantime, be sure to look through our 2019 release schedule to learn what movies are hitting theaters later this year.
