Gary Oldman to star in Robocop remake

Los Angeles - Gary Oldman has signed up for the RoboCop remake.

The Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy actor will star as Norton, a scientist who creates the technology that brings the titular super-human cyborg - who is played by Joel Kinnaman - to life in the MGM reboot of the 1987 sci-fi movie.

But Gary's alter-ego will find himself torn between a callous company and the machine - who was formerly a police officer called Alex Murphy saved from the brink of death and turned into a robot cop - trying to rediscover his humanity, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Jose Padilha will direct the motion picture, with Marc Abraham and Eric Newman in line to produce.

The filmmaker had previously revealed Michael Fassbender was his top choice to play the cyborg - who was originally portrayed by Peter Weller in the first two Robocop movies in 1987 and 1990 before Robert Burke took over in 1993's Robocop 3 - and the Shame actor even signalled his interest about starring in the project.

'There is a possibility'

Jose said: "I can't talk yet, it's too early to speak, but there are some actors I like. I really like the Fassbender, I'd like to talk to him - I'll talk to him. There's a possibility..."

Michael explained: "You know, I'm always open. I'll take a look at the script and sit down with the director and have a conversation. It's not definitely like, 'Oh, I've got to play RoboCop  before I retire.'

"I don't have that about anything. I don't go, 'I have to play the Dane one day, or Hamlet.' I don't really think like that.

"I just wait and see what comes up, and I'm always open to it. If I react to the script, then I'm up for anything.

"It could be kind of fun (to wear the iconic outfit). It could be kind of good to have a helmet that I could hide behind for most of the film too, that sounds kind of appealing."