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Fans want Peter Weller to star as RoboCop in upcoming sequel

Inspired by a two-word tweet from director Neill Blomkamp, fans are clamoring to see this casting happen.

Gael Cooper
CNET editor Gael Fashingbauer Cooper, a journalist and pop-culture junkie, is co-author of "Whatever Happened to Pudding Pops? The Lost Toys, Tastes and Trends of the '70s and '80s," as well as "The Totally Sweet '90s." She's been a journalist since 1989, working at Mpls.St.Paul Magazine, Twin Cities Sidewalk, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and NBC News Digital. She's Gen X in birthdate, word and deed. If Marathon candy bars ever come back, she'll be first in line.
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Gael Cooper
2 min read
robocopcrop

Fans loved Peter Weller as RoboCop.

 Orion Pictures

Fans of RoboCop got a little excited Monday after Neill Blomkamp, the director of an upcoming sequel, dropped a name fans have been longing to hear. 

The excitement began when musician Dmitiri Vegas tweeted that he'd rewatched the 1987 original and was wondering who'd play the title role in Blomkamp's new movie. And none other than the director himself responded.

"Rewatched RoboCop last night... Still one of the best Can't wait to see the Neill Blomkamp twist ... who should play Robocop though?" the musician asked.

And Blomkamp's response? "Peter Weller."

Weller is now 71, but he famously originated the role in the 1987 film that launched a franchise, reprising it in 1990's RoboCop 2. Robert John Burke played RoboCop in the third installment because Weller was filming the David Cronenberg-directed version of Naked Lunch.

Since then, Weller has appeared in Sons of Anarchy, Star Trek Into Darkness and Longmire, among other films and shows. He hasn't commented on Blomkamp's tweet, and it could simply be a fun tease from the director. But RoboCop fans were into it.

"there is 0 argument there! " responded Vegas, who'd posed the original question.

Weller's age didn't bother fans much either. 

"Yes! All in on an Old Man Robocop movie (not being sarcastic, 100% serious)," wrote one Twitter user.

Another suggested Weller could play the role just fine with "a mix of practical make up and some of that de-aging CGI Marvel uses."

And it was hard for some to envision anyone else in the role.

"(Weller) is Robocop!" said one fan. "Like Harrison Ford is Indiana Jones! Half the reason this film is so iconic is his performance! Buckaroo Banzai forever!" (Weller played Buckaroo Banzai in the 1984 cult hit The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension.)

No date has been announced for the release of RoboCop Returns.