RoboCop was Dutch director Paul Verhoeven’s debut American film. He had previously directed several acclaimed European films, including Soldier of Orange, (1977), Spetters, (1980) and The Fourth Man (1983). Promotional materials in AMPAS library files indicate that Verhoeven was a science fiction fan, but had never attempted the genre in his early films because the technology was not available in Europe. When RoboCop was offered, he immediately accepted.
       RoboCop marked the film debut of screenwriters Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner. Neumeier had worked as a script reader, while Miner was a short film and music video director. Together, they crafted a comic-book tale of a super-hero cop dealing with a violent world. The 1 Sep 1987 LAT reported that the pair received offers for their screenplay from Atlantic Releasing Corporation and producer Jon Davison. They took Davison’s offer. Although they were initially paid only a few thousand dollars for the option, their contract gave them the right to do the first rewrite for an additional $25,000 fee. Producers were happy with their first rewrite and shot from that script.
       Jon Davison formed his own production company, Tobor (“robot” spelled backward) Productions to do the film. The 31 Jul 1987 LA Weekly reported that after Orion Pictures Corporation agreed to finance the project, Davison brought in director Jonathan Kaplan, but Kaplan soon left to direct Project X (1987, see entry) instead. Several American directors turned Davison down before he offered the film to Verhoeven. A few actors also turned down the lead role before Peter Weller accepted. The 6 Jan 1988 issue of London, England’s Time Out magazine suggested that since the RoboCop helmet completely covered Weller’s face except for his mouth and chin, he was perhaps cast for his “photogenic lips.”
       Actress Stephanie Zimbalist was initially cast in the role of “Officer Anne Lewis,” the 4 Aug 1986 DV reported, but had to drop out when NBC (National Broadcasting Company) ordered more episodes of the television detective series Remington Steele, in which she played the character “Laura Holt.” Although NBC had cancelled the series, the network exercised an option for more episodes when news came that series star Pierce Brosnan had been cast to play James Bond in the movie The Living Daylights (1987, see entry), an offer that Bond producers rescinded after NBC ordered more Remington Steele episodes.
       Principal photography began on 6 Aug 1986, according to the 15 Aug 1986 DV production chart. Although RoboCop is set in Detroit, MI, filming was done in Dallas, TX, because the city had a more modern skyline. Dallas City Hall was used for exteriors of the Omni Consumer Products (OCP) headquarters. Other Dallas locations included the Plaza of the Americas, the Renaissance Tower, and the Stark Club. The 14 Aug 1987 HR reported that filming took place on soundstages at the city’s Studios at Las Colinas.
       The production was initially set to shoot eight to nine weeks in Dallas, the 12 Aug 1986 HR announced, but the 31 Jul 1987 LA Weekly stated that after the first week, Jon Davison realized that filming would take longer than scheduled. Orion production head Mike Medavoy approved his request based on the dailies he saw. The film’s budget increased from $11 million to $13.1 million. Orion also approved an additional $600,000 during postproduction for high-tech sound effects and a symphonic score. The 17 Oct 1986 Backstage reported that filming in Dallas was complete. The company moved to the abandoned Wheeling-Pittsburgh steel mill outside of Pittsburgh, PA, to shoot a climactic battle scene for three weeks, the 6 Nov 1986 HR noted.
       The twenty-five-pound RoboCop suit was created by special effects supervisor Rob Bottin. The 26 Jul 1987 issue of Long Beach, CA’s Press-Telegram reported that actor Peter Weller worked four months with mime coach Moni Yakim to develop a “Robomovement” style that allowed him to move mechanically like a robot, but also to express the “humanity” of the man trapped inside.
       The Enforcement Droid (ED-209) was created by Phil Tippet, who built both a seven-foot-tall, full-size droid controlled by puppeteers for scenes with other actors, and a miniature droid for stop-motion photography.
       Because of its graphic violence, RoboCop initially received an X rating from the Motion Pictures Association of America (MPAA). The 13 May 1987 DV reported that Orion Pictures planned to appeal the rating, but then asked for a last-minute postponement. According to the 20 May 1987 LAT, Orion resubmitted the film several times before receiving an R. Pointing out that the film was a black comedy, Davison told the 18 Jul 1987 LAT that the violence in the X-rated version was “so excessive that it became comic,” and no one would have taken it seriously. Davison added that the cuts for the R-rated version brought the violence to a more realistic level, but also made the film more disturbing to some viewers.
       Since RoboCop had a low promotional budget, Orion Pictures tried several unusual tactics to create awareness and positive word of mouth. The 21 Jul 1987 LAT reported that critics, who were fans of Verhoeven’s European films, were shown a work print before it was fully edited and scored. Additionally, actors wearing replicas of the RoboCop costume appeared at shopping malls and events across the country, including an auto race in Florida. Sneak previews were held on 711 screens nationwide on 10 Jul 1987, a week before the official opening.
       RoboCop opened on 1,580 screens on 17 Jul 1987, taking in $8 million in its first three days, the 21 Jul 1987 DV noted. By six weeks, the film had grossed $44.6 million, according to the 1 Sep 1987 DV box office report.
       The film’s success spawned two sequels: 1990’s RoboCop 2 and 1993’s RoboCop 3 (see entries). A twelve-episode animated television series based on the characters aired in 1988. A twenty-one episode, live-action Canadian-produced television series also aired in 1994-1995. In 2014, a remake of the original movie was produced starring actor Joel Kinnman as “Alex Murphy/RoboCop” (see entry).
       End credits include the following Acknowledgements: “Tim Boxell; Howard Chaykin; Troy Dungan—WFAA; Samuel Eskenazi; Ran Halpern; Joel Marrow; AT&T; Belgian American Investment Inc.; Bell Northern Research; FAA Technical Center; Friendly Furniture; Hyatt Regency; Jay Ohberg Show Cars; La Salle Partners Inc.; Mag-Lite; Modern Props; Visual Eyes; Wheeling Pittsburgh Steel Corporation—Monessen; Effects Slides by Alex Pietersen; Production services provided by FPS.”