Dan Stevens (Legion, Abagail) has been wired in as the protagonist of Prime Video’s upcoming Robocop series, according to a Deadline exclusive. The streaming giant is currently in the early stages of assembling a reboot of the classic ‘80s sci-fi movie franchise for the small screen.
Like the 1987 movie that inspired it, Robocop features Alex Murphy, a police officer struggling to keep the peace in a near-dystopic future version of Detroit. After being murdered by a group of gangsters, Murphy is revived as a cyborg by OCP, a shadowy mega-corporation that intends to use the newly christened Robocop as a harbinger of state-sanctioned violence; but as memories of his former life return, Murphy begins turning his weapons on his creators.
Other names attached to the series include writer/showrunner Peter Ocko (Black Sails, The Leftovers) and executive producer James Wan (Aquaman, Annabelle). “I’ve been a massive fan of Robocop forever, so getting to help bring this world to television is a dream,” Wan stated in an interview with Variety. “What Paul Verhoeven created in 1987 was decades ahead of its time, and its questions about technology, identity, and who corporations really serve have only grown more urgent. With Peter’s distinctive vision and bold approach to storytelling, and alongside Ed and our partners at Amazon MGM Studios, we’re working to honor what made the original iconic and highlight its relevancy in this modern, tech-driven world, while building something unmistakably new for a global audience.”
Stevens’ most recognizable roles include David Haller in the psychological X-Men spinoff series Legion, Matthew Crawley in Downtown Abbey, and the titular Beast in Disney’s live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast. Per Deadline, his Robocop role will continue the actor’s ongoing partnership with Amazon MGM Studios, one which began with the yet-to-release spy-thriller series Legacy of Spies.
In lieu of a traditional statement, Steven uploaded a photo of himself with a Robocop action figure to his official Instagram, available below.
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The eight-episode Robocop reboot will premiere on Prime Video at an unspecified date, while the original 1987 movie is streaming now for Prime Video members.
