RoboCop Director Returning For Another Sci-Fi Blockbuster?

Though the 85-year-old director has spent recent years mostly working on projects that are a little more rooted in realism, he suggested that it’s not outside the realm of possibility that he’ll one day helm another groundbreaking dystopian film set in the not-so-distant future.

It’s worth noting, however, that even though he wouldn’t hesitate to go back to his roots, he hasn’t yet come across a script that has piqued his interest.

In a recent interview, Paul Verhoeven talked about the lasting impact that his work has left in the science-fiction genre.

He talked in-depth about his upbringing in German-occupied Holland at the tail-end of WWII, and how the real-life dystopian setting he lived in was fertile ground to explore when it came to his filmmaking career years later in the United States.

With the help of his production team, Verhoeven was able to take his vision, and transform it into the iconic science-fiction films that we still celebrate to this day.

Leaning heavily into topics like militarized police, fascism, and unnecessary bureaucracy, Paul Verhoeven was able to work on profoundly subversive films like Robocop, Total Recall, and Starship Troopers.

Through the genre of science-fiction, the Elle director expertly subverted viewer expectations by helming films that were simultaneously escapist, satirical, extremely violent, and jam-packed with graphic sexual content.

But beneath the thin veneer of satire was the brilliant social commentary of a visionary who had a lot of things to say about where he came from, and where he thought the world would end up if society as a whole wasn’t careful.

These days, Paul Verhoeven still leans heavily into the satirical elements that he’s most well known for, but does so in a way that’s less genre-driven.

As he gears up to work on Young Sinner, his first US production since 2000’s Hollow Man, it’s clear that Verhoeven still has his finger on the pulse when it comes to the societal woes that are at the behest of corrupt politicians and public officials.

Though Young Sinner will be set in the present day, Verhoeven asserts that the upcoming erotic thriller be quite brutal with its delivery and messaging.

What’s more, Paul Verhoeven will be working alongside Ed Neumeier, who wrote the screenplay for Robocop and Starship Troopers.

Perhaps this is the reunion we need to happen, as it could inspire them to create another science-fiction action film as iconic as their past work.

For the time being, Paul Verhoeven doesn’t currently have any science-fiction films in the works. On the same token, it certainly sounds like he’s biding his time, and waiting for the right opportunity to present itself.

Paul Verhoeven didn’t mince his words when he said that he’s just waiting for the right screenplay to materialize.

So if you know anybody who’s writing the next Robocop or Total Recall adjacent film for a new generation, it may be in their best interest to get in contact with his representatives so we can see it happen.

Source: Metrograph