Amazon acquired the rights to various huge franchises when it completed the $8.5 billion acquisition of MGM in 2022. Of all the intellectual properties that it can now develop, RoboCop is reportedly one of the company’s priorities.

There are rumours that Amazon will develop a new RoboCop shared universe across films and television series, and the plan is to start at the beginning before the events of the 1987 Paul Verhoeven film that started it all.

First Series May Set the Scene for Future Offerings

Amazon has already made it clear that it wants to build cinematic universes for its main franchises, spanning numerous television series and films. The Boys is a good example of this, with the superhero offering having led to a couple of other highly rated spinoffs already. The same thing could happen with The Rings of Power, which has the potential to lead to various other productions set within Middle-earth.

The streaming service is set to start afresh with RoboCop, with its own offerings unrelated to the films that have come before. To ensure that the futuristic world in which the events take place is fleshed out effectively, the first television series will be set in the early days of the ruthless corporate power, Omni Consumer Products, led by the corrupt Dick Jones. It will focus on Jones’ early days and describe his rise to power, allowing viewers a chance to get to know the motives behind one of the franchise’s main antagonists.

RoboCop Franchise Has Plenty of Scope for Expansion

One of the main reasons why Amazon is dedicated to developing a rich and detailed RoboCop universe is because the IP has already shown its franchise potential over the years. Even though none of the sequels managed to quite generate the following that the original 1987 title did, there have been countless related games and merchandise over the years that have proved popular.

There have numerous RoboCop games, including the recent RoboCop: Rogue City in 2023 that was met with critical acclaim. The franchise also has its representation in iGaming, with RoboCop: Cash Collect listed among the top British casino games. With all these related offerings out already, Amazon could commission other branded games to boost its series when it’s released. There’s plenty of scope to expand the sci-fi universe in numerous ways, delving deeper into different characters, settings, and moments in the RoboCop timeline.

Amazon Reportedly Sees RoboCop as a Priority

After completing the MGM deal, Amazon gained the rights to make original content for countless well-known IPs, including the James Bond franchise. However, according to reports, it sees RoboCop as one of its main priorities.

There are already key figures in position working on the new series, with Peter Ocko as showrunner and James Wan set to produce. It’s now in its early development stage, so could be set for release within the next few years.

Rather than dive straight into the story of RoboCop, the new series from Amazon is likely to set the scene and give viewers a proper introduction to the franchise’s universe. It should lay the foundations for various other RoboCop offerings in the future in a smattering of different formats.