The other day there were concerns about Steven Spielberg’s next project, Robopocalypse. THR had reported that the film adaptation of the novel by Daniel H. Wilson, was going to be postponed for an indefinite time. Well, Spielberg has taken some time away from basking in his twelve nominations for Lincoln to make an update on Robopocalypse. According to an interview with Deadline, Spielberg said,
“(In terms of the delay), I found another way to tell the story,” Spielberg told Deadline this morning. “I had an epiphany and I only have had these a couple of time during the course of my work and whenever those voices occur, I need to listen to them. I found another way to tell the story, it’s a much more personal story for me. I let my cast and crew go make other movies, while I take a half a year to get it to the place that I need it.” Spielberg would not go as far as saying whether he’ll take on another picture before he gets to this. “I don’t know,” he said. “I’m going to wait until March when I’m going to redevelop it.”
So the novel that was already set to star Chris Hemsworth, Anne Hathaway, and Ben Whishaw is not canned, but who knows if the actors will still be available. This treatment of the script was being worked on by Drew Goddard (The Cabin in the Woods).
He told EW,
We found that the film was costing a lot of money and I found a better way to tell the story more economically but also much more personally,” Spielberg said. “I found the personal way into Robopocalypse, and so I just told everybody to go find other jobs, I’m starting on a new script and we’ll have this movie back on its feet soon.”
Hopefully Robopocalypse finds its way to the big screen sooner than later. I’ve been reading through the book and while it seems like a robotic take on the same form World War Z used, its a quick enjoyable read. Here’s the syopsis for those interested.
Not far into our future, the dazzling technology that runs our world turns against us. Controlled by a childlike—yet massively powerful—artificial intelligence known as Archos, the global network of machines on which our world has grown dependent suddenly becomes an implacable, deadly foe. At Zero Hour—the moment the robots attack—the human race is almost annihilated, but as its scattered remnants regroup, humanity for the first time unites in a determined effort to fight back. This is the oral history of that conflict, told by an international cast of survivors who experienced this long and bloody confrontation with the machines. Brilliantly conceived and amazingly detailed, Robopocalypse is an action-packed epic with chilling implications about the real technology that surrounds us.
