Steven Spielberg’s take on Daniel H. Wilson’s frankly brilliant novel, Robopocalypse, technically should have already hit screens by now. The anticipated robot-apocalypse (what, you didn’t get that from the title?) sci-fi tale was gearing up to head into production in 2012, with Chris Hemsworth, Anne Hathaway and Ben Whishaw all attached. And then… it sorta fell apart. But fear not, because now we have word from Wilson that all hope is not yet lost!
In an interview with Den Of Geek (via Film), the author shed light on what’s currently happening with the project. It turns out there’s still no definitive change since the entire film was returned to the development docket back in January 2013 – but it’s not been wiped entirely from Spielberg’s radar:
It’s basically in the queue as far as I know. You know, Spielberg has other movies that he’s directing right now. But Robopocalypse has certainly been worked on. I’m sure that Dreamworks is still very excited about it. That’s what all indications are. It’s just about being patient, you know? I think one of the films on Spielberg’s slate is The BFG, and that’s been floating around for about ten years!. I don’t really know what a timeline is, but that’s certainly normal. So I’m just being patient and working on all my projects. It would be some wonderful bonus points if that ever comes together.
You’ve got to appreciate Wilson’s unyielding optimism, especially considering the film teetered for so long on the brink of production. The casting calls indicated that all was well, and Spielberg was ready to proceed with Drew Goddard’s script in hand. Then, suddenly he opted to helm Lincoln, his Untitled Cold War project, and The BFG. But why? Well, it seems he had a better idea for the Robopocalypse story; as he told reporters in January last year, “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.”
I’m harbouring faith that Spielberg’s crafting a killer spin on Wilson’s novel. The story is set in a futuristic world where robots are a part of every day life, until a gigantic sentient robot with a penchant for evil turns every ‘bot into a slave pod and attempts to destroy mankind. It’s a fantastic read that’ll have you gagging for the second novel, Robogenesis.
With a talented cast, a genius screenwriter and material for a sequel ready to go, one has to wonder, why is Robopocalypse still dawdling?