MGM has hired Josh Zetumer to write the script for director Jose Padilha’s ‘Robocop’ reboot.
According to Deadline, Zetumer is a hot item in Hollywood. He’s written a
number of high profile scripts, except none have made it to the screen yet. His thriller script ‘Infiltrator’ is set up at Warner Bros. as a potential film for actor Leonardo DiCaprio. He’s also written drafts for a new ‘Dune’ film for Paramount and wrote the fourth installment of ‘The Bourne Identity’ before it was shelved. Recently, Zetumer delivered a supernatural action thriller titled ‘Vale’ to Warner Bros.
MGM, who just emerged from a $4.25 billion bankruptcy, is certainly not playing it safe with one of their biggest assets besides ‘James Bond’. Zetumer is certainly an in-demand, but new writer while director Padilha has proven his skills outside the U.S. market he is certainly a wild card for such a high profile and most-likely huge budget franchise.
The next question is whether or not they will go after name talent or find an unknown for the title character. One other lingering question is what involvement, if any, ‘Robocop’ co-creators/writers Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner will play in the creation of the rebooted version of the franchise.
