José Padilha to Direct "Robocop" Remake

It was reported by Deadline that MGM is in negotiation with award winning Brazilian director José Padilha to reboot the 1987 futuristic film "Robocop." MGM had originally asked director/screenwriter/producer Darren Aronofsky ("Requiem for a Dream" and "Black Swan") to direct the film but Aronofsky has now moved on to direct Fox's "Wolverine" sequel. Once MGM finalizes the deal with Padilha, MGM will then search for the screenwriter to work under Padilha's supervision.

Padilha might be a new name to a lot but he is one of the top directors in Brazil. He was the man behind some of the critically acclaimed films and powerful documentaries in Brazil such as "Bus 174", "Tropa de Elite", "Tropa de Elite 2" and his latest documentary which premiered at 2010 Sundance, "Secrets of the Tribes."

"Tropa de Elite 2" ("Elite Troop" in English), like Padilha's other films is in Portuguese and did not garner much popularity in the U.S. but it grossed $60 million last year just in Brazil alone. It was reported that Padilha's film surpassed Shrek Forever, Alice in Wonderland and Avatar in his home country. Padilha's talent and film success are reasons enough to look forward to the remake of one of Hollywood's Sci-fi classics.

SOURCES: Deadline.com; IMDb; Image from Abril.com