Questions
When did RoboCop come out and who directed it?
RoboCop was released on July 17, 1987, and was directed by Paul Verhoeven. It was written by Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner.
What is RoboCop actually about?
In a near-future Detroit run by the mega-corporation OCP, a murdered cop named Alex Murphy is revived as RoboCop, a cyborg lawman programmed with three prime directives plus a hidden fourth. He fights crime while slowly recovering fragments of his human memories.
Who played RoboCop?
Peter Weller played Alex Murphy and RoboCop. Verhoeven reportedly hired him in part because his chin was very good.
Is it true Arnold Schwarzenegger was considered for the role?
Yes. Schwarzenegger was considered, but producers reportedly feared he would look like the Michelin Man in the bulky suit, so the part went to the leaner Peter Weller.
How bad was that RoboCop suit to wear?
The costume took six months to build and was not finished until filming began. Weller reportedly lost up to 3 pounds a day sweating in the Dallas heat, struggled to see through the visor, and had trouble gripping objects with the gloves.
Was Peter Weller almost fired?
Reportedly yes. Weller was nearly replaced, with Lance Henriksen considered as a substitute, but the custom-fitted costume had been built for Weller so he kept the role.
How did Weller learn to move like a robot?
He spent months training with mime artist Moni Yakim to develop RoboCop’s fluid, mechanical movements. The design team also drew on C-3PO’s stiff aesthetic and the art of Japanese illustrator Hajime Sorayama.
What is the deal with ED-209?
ED-209 is the towering OCP enforcement robot, standing about 7 feet tall and built over four months for roughly 25,000 dollars. Its menacing sound was based on a leopard roar, and Phil Tippett led the stop-motion animation using two 12-inch miniature replicas.
Did RoboCop have trouble with the ratings board?
Big trouble. The film initially received an X rating, and the MPAA rejected it multiple times (Verhoeven claimed eight rejections, with reports suggesting eleven) before edits brought it down to an R.
Why is the violence so over-the-top?
Verhoeven made the violence deliberately outlandish and comedic to balance the tone. He reportedly refused to cut the villain Emil’s disintegration scene because it got consistent big laughs at test screenings.
What are the in-movie TV commercials and news breaks about?
Those Media Breaks were added to lighten the mood, and their composition even drew comparisons to the art of Piet Mondrian.
Did anything go wrong on set?
Reportedly one explosion in the Deep Ellum sequence was bigger than expected, catching actor Kurtwood Smith’s coat on fire, and the stunt performers received an extra 400 dollars for it.
Was RoboCop a hit?
Yes. Made for about 13.7 million dollars, it opened at number one and earned 53.4 million dollars domestically, becoming a sleeper hit and the 14th highest-grossing film of 1987.
Did RoboCop win any awards?
It received a Special Achievement Academy Award for Best Sound Editing and earned Oscar nominations for Best Film Editing and Best Sound, both of which lost to The Last Emperor.
Were there sequels?
Yes. RoboCop was followed by RoboCop 2 (1990) and RoboCop 3 (1993), plus animated and live-action TV shows, video games, and comics. A remake arrived in 2014.
