Elite Squad director to direct Robocop remake

My favorite film of Sundance was Brazilian director José Padilha’s Elite Squad 2, which I called, in a not-at-all hyperbolic review, a two-hour Brazilian The Wire on steroids.  As soon as the credits rolled, I figured Hollywood would be trying to give Padilha a jillion dollars to direct their next action remake/prequel/sequel/reboot, and even asked him as much during the Q & A (I’ve included a transcript and audio of the actual exchange below). Today, the Hollywood Reporter says Padilha’s the lead candidate to direct a remake of Robocop for MGM. My God, you guys, do you know what this means?  I just TOLDJA’d the entire internet.

Jose Padilha, the Brazilian director behind the gritty South American Elite Squad movies, is in talks to direct Robocop, the film project which is the reconstituted MGM’s top priority. The studio was meeting with directors last week — others on the list included Robert Rodriguez [*mouth wank*] and David Slade [*fart shrug*] – with Padilha emerging a top cop.
The new MGM is looking to make three pictures to start, two in the $30 million range and one in the $80 million range. Robocop has the latter slot. MGM is also zeroing on writers to pen a new script.
[THR]

Hiring Padilha means at least MGM has taste, and I can’t imagine anyone being able to make a more badass Robocop than this guy, especially if his heart’s in it.  And according to Padilha, he’s not looking for paycheck movies.  This was our exchange at Sundance:

ME: Are you going to continue making awesome movies like [Elite Squad 2] or are you going to take a really big paycheck to make Pirates of the Caribbean 7 or something?

PADILHA: Well let me address this: believe me, you can take a big paycheck out of a movie like this.  This movie is totally independent in a very broad sense, because it was produced by us. And Wagner [lead actor Wagner Moura], who is sitting here with us, is actually one of the producers of the film.  The Screenwriter is a producer.  The people that made the first movie, we got together, and we said let’s make a sequel, but let’s keep it.  So we opened a distribution company with six people in it.  Six people calling theaters, and sending the prints and everything, and it got us a lot of money, so… Not looking for paychecks.

Incidentally, Elite Squad 2 went on to become the highest-grossing Brazilian movie of all time and outgrossed Avatar there. I’m inclined to believe that Padilha wasn’t looking for a big paycheck because I’m trusting like that, but it looks like he found one anyway.  But if as few f*cks are given during the making of Robocop as were given during Elite Squad 2, I will be happy.  And no doubt, so will you.  Friends, trust me when I say that very few f*cks were given during the making of Elite Squad 2.  VERY few f*cks.

(Sorry about the crappy iMovie-style editing on this, but I edited this on iMovie)

Here’s Padilha talking about drawing on personal experiences to make Elite Squad.

Elite Squad 2 trailer:

×