Docuseries ‘RoboDoc: The Creation of RoboCop’ Gets Streaming Deal

EXCLUSIVE: Cinedigm has acquired all North American rights to four-part docuseries RoboDoc: The Creation of RoboCop.

The project, six years in the making, is set to launch on Cinedigm’s horror streaming service Screambox and then on digital platforms early next year.

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Featuring new interviews with cast and crew, including stars Dr Peter Weller, Diane Robin, Ronny Cox, Nancy Allen, Ray Wise, and director Paul Verhoeven, the series deep-dives on the story behind the franchise and its creation. The film is a fan-funded project that began raising money six years ago.

Action franchise RoboCop burst onto the scene in the late 1980s. Released at the time by Orion Pictures, it was set in a dystopian and crime-ridden Detroit and follows a terminally wounded cop who returns to the force as a powerful cyborg haunted by submerged memories. The original, which took more than $50M off an estimated $13M budget, spawned two sequels and a 2014 remake.

The 1987 film was in part inspired by writer Edward Neumeier’s work in the art department on Blade Runner. Makeup effects vet Rob Bottin (The Thing, Total Recall) created the RoboCop design and handled the film’s makeup effects.

Produced by Gary Smart, the doc is directed by Chris Griffiths and Eastwood Allen who previously collaborated with Smart on Pennywise: The Story of IT.

The project was written by Allen, Griffiths and Smart and produced by Smart, Michael Perez and Hank Starrs, with John Cashin, Gary Collins, Ben KB Ng, Fuad Omar, Aleksandar Smiljanic, Sean Tiedeman and Laurence Gornall acting as executive producers. Composer was Sean Schafer Hennessy who previously worked on the horror documentary Pennywise: The Story of IT & Scream: The Inside Story.

The deal was negotiated by Brandon Hill, Director of Acquisitions, on behalf of Cinedigm and Laurence Gornall on behalf of Unannounced Film Company, which is handling international sales.

“RoboCop is not only a technological icon but a film that pushed boundaries with its practical effects and excessively violent gore,” said Brad Miska, Managing Director of Bloody Disgusting, which powers Screambox. “Much of what we see on screen today can be credited to the innovative minds of the 70’s and 80’s. We’re thrilled fans will finally be able to see the story on Screambox next year.”

Co-director Eastwood Allen stated: “We’ve crafted something together to incorporate visuals and sound in an effort to immerse viewers into the world of 80s filmmaking and offer something completely unique to the ‘making of’ format.”

Co-director Chris Griffiths added: “As a fan of RoboCop for the past 30 years, this project has been a labor of love for me and I can’t wait to share this unique project with the fans, especially those who have stood by us all these years.”

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