RoboCop 3
A dystopian Detroit film and the third RoboCop installment.
RoboCop 3, a 1993 American science fiction action film, was directed by Fred Dekker, who also co-wrote it with Frank Miller. It serves as the follow-up to *RoboCop 2* and marks the third movie in the franchise. The cast includes Robert Burke, Nancy Allen, and Rip Torn. The story takes place in a near-future, dystopian Detroit, where RoboCop (played by Burke) sets out to get revenge for the killing of his partner, Anne Lewis (Allen), and to stop the city from descending into disorder. Meanwhile, the corrupt corporation OCP, led by its CEO (Torn), pushes forward with plans to tear down the city and construct a new "Delta City" on the land where residents once lived. Filming took place in Atlanta, Georgia. Many of the sets and background buildings were already scheduled for demolition to make room for 1996 Summer Olympics facilities. This film was the first to use digital morphing in more than a single scene. In the United States, *RoboCop 3* failed both critically and commercially. It earned $47 million worldwide against a $22 million budget, making it the least profitable entry in the *RoboCop* series. Two television series followed: *RoboCop* in 1994 and *RoboCop: Prime Directives* in 2001. The film series was later rebooted with the 2014 remake *RoboCop*. A video game interquel, *RoboCop: Rogue City*, set between *RoboCop 2* and *RoboCop 3*, was released in 2023, with Peter Weller reprising his role. After the events of the first two films, OCP has taken control of Detroit through bankruptcy but is struggling. The Kanemitsu Corporation, which acquired a majority stake in OCP after the previous chairman's death, continues with the plan to build Delta City. Because residents of Old Detroit are resisting the construction and demolition with armed force, OCP creates a heavily armed private security unit called the Urban Rehabilitators, or "Rehabs," led by Paul McDaggett. Their job is to forcibly evict people from the condemned Cadillac Heights neighborhood. During one such eviction, a young computer-savvy resident named Nikko Halloran gets separated from her parents and joins The Resistance, using her skills to raid OCP facilities. One night, RoboCop and his partner Anne Lewis try to protect civilians from the Rehabs, but McDaggett kills Lewis. RoboCop is unable to fight back due to his "Fourth Directive" programming.
Quick Facts
- Director
- Fred Dekker
- Producer
- Patrick Crowley
- Screenplay
- Frank Miller / Fred Dekker
- Story
- Frank Miller
- Based On
- Characters · Edward Neumeier · Michael Miner
- Starring
- Robert Burke / Nancy Allen / Jill Hennessy / Remy Ryan / John Castle / Rip Torn
- Music
- Basil Poledouris
- Cinematography
- Gary B. Kibbe
- Editing
- Bert Lovitt
- Distributor
- Orion Pictures / Columbia Pictures (International)
- Runtime
- 104 minutes
- Country
- United States
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The film was greenlit by Orion Pictures in June 1990, shortly before the release of RoboCop 2. Frank Miller, who co-wrote RoboCop 2, returned to write the screenplay, drawing on themes from his rejected draft of that earlier film. Peter Weller, who played RoboCop in the first two films, did not reprise the role due to his commitment to Naked Lunch; Robert John Burke was cast instead. The RoboCop suit Burke wore had originally been built for RoboCop 2. Orion Pictures reduced the graphic violence compared to the earlier films, recognizing that many of RoboCop's fans were children.
Principal photography was originally scheduled to begin in December 1990 but was postponed to February 1991. Filming took place primarily in Atlanta, Georgia, at locations including Auburn Avenue, Georgia Avenue Church, Allied Cotton Mills, and Old Alabama Street. Many of the sets and background buildings were slated for demolition to make way for facilities for the 1996 Summer Olympics. The production lasted 14 weeks and concluded in May 1991. The film was initially scheduled for a mid-1992 release but was delayed due to Orion Pictures' bankruptcy and subsequent buyout. A completed workprint was released theatrically in Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines during that time. The film finally opened at the Charleston International Film Festival on November 4, 1993.
Reader's Guide
RoboCop 3 was a critical and commercial failure in the United States, grossing $47 million worldwide against its $22 million budget, making it the least profitable film of the RoboCop franchise. Despite its poor reception, the film introduced several notable elements. It was the first film to use digital morphing in more than one scene. The film's release delays caused its tie-in video game to be released before the film, spoiling the plot. The franchise continued after the film with two television series: RoboCop (1994) and RoboCop: Prime Directives (2001). The film series was later rebooted with the 2014 film RoboCop. In 2023, a video game interquel titled RoboCop: Rogue City, set between RoboCop 2 and RoboCop 3, was released, with Peter Weller reprising his role as RoboCop. The film's legacy is also tied to Frank Miller's original screenplay, which was later adapted into a nine-part comic book series called Frank Miller's RoboCop, and an eight-part comic series Robocop: The Last Stand based on Miller's original RoboCop 3 screenplay.
Did You Know?
- The RoboCop suit worn by Robert Burke was originally built for RoboCop 2.
- The film's tie-in video game was released before the film, spoiling the plot.
More in Characters & Cast
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