Fred Dekker On Why RoboCop 3 Failed, The Predator

Fred Dekker, the director of the fated RoboCop 3, has been speaking about the movie’s failure this week. In an interview with moxiesozo he said that among other things, the movie should not have been PG-13;

There’s a misconception about this movie that the studio steamrolled me into doing something I wasn’t comfortable with. The truth is, anything wrong with it is entirely my fault. I had a great cast, a great crew, the support of my producers and the studio, and some of the greatest special effects wizards of all time (Phil Tippett and Rob Bottin, among others).

I think it really comes down to the script. It was a story by the brilliant Frank Miller, who wrote the first draft—but in the final analysis, it was the wrong story and the wrong script for what an audience wanted from that character. The PG-13 rating didn’t help, since the character’s first two outings were extremely violent and satirical, and that’s really the arena that character belongs in—not a “family” movie.

Dekker has also co-written The Predator and had the following to say about that movie;

It’s easier in the sense that you don’t have to start with a blank page. The genre, the tone, and a lot of the specifics of the mythology are already established, so to a degree you’re free to paint a new picture with the existing colors. The downside is, sequels, reboots and remakes have historically had a tough go of it, creatively—and the new, rabid internet fan base makes it even harder.

The hardcore fans have their Shurikens sharpened (that’s a Predator weapon, by the way), just waiting for you to fail. So it’s a double-edge Shuriken: You want to do something new and fresh with the concept, but not alienate the core fan base who have a pre-set idea of what they want. It’s a tricky tightrope walk, for sure.

Pity Paul Verhoeven wouldn’t do to RoboCop what Shane Black is doing to The Predator, eh?