Dan Stevens to Star as ‘RoboCop’ in James Wan and Blumhouse’s Prime Series

According to Deadline, Dan Stevens has been cast as RoboCop in Prime Video’s upcoming series. Stevens will star as Alex Murphy and his cyborg alter ego, RoboCop, in the show from showrunner Peter Ocko and Blumhouse Atomic Monster.

In Ocko’s eight-episode “RoboCop” series, a powerful tech conglomerate persuades the city to introduce an advanced robot to its police force. The machine is brought to life with the consciousness of Alex Murphy (Stevens), a beloved officer who was killed in the line of duty.

Stevens is best known for his breakout role as Matthew Crawley in “Downton Abbey,” as well as starring as David Haller/Legion in the FX series “Legion” and playing the Beast in Disney’s live-action “Beauty and the Beast.” His notable film credits also include “The Guest,” “Apostle,” and “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.”

You just don’t remake Paul Verhoeven. That should be a general rule for Hollywood. It’s practically impossible to replicate the Dutch filmmaker’s blend of social satire, sex, and graphic violence. Hollywood already tried to remake “RoboCop,” and it didn’t end well—it was blasted by critics and bombed at the box office.

James Wan is not only set to executive produce Prime Video’s “RoboCop” series but will also direct key episodes. A six-month shoot, starting next January in Vancouver, is planned for the series.

Ocko (“Lodge 49”) has been tapped as writer, executive producer, and showrunner. Ocko has been a Hollywood writer for decades, having penned shows such as “Parker Lewis Can’t Lose,” “Dead Like Me,” and “Pushing Daisies.” More recently, he served as showrunner on “Lodge 49” and “Moonhaven.”

Quite honestly, I would rather have had Neil Blomkamp’s “RoboCop Returns.” Blomkamp’s sequel, greenlit in 2018, was meant to bring back Peter Weller in the titular role. However, much like many of Blomkamp’s projects in recent years, MGM scrapped the project a year later.