Laurie
With House ending its eight year run on Fox this past month, the big question for lead actor Hugh Laurie is just what he will do now. While he’s no stranger to films over the years, his role as the pill-addicted and eccentric doctor has taken priority for the past decade and the Emmy award winning actor is looking to possibly make a splash on the big screen yet again. Now, it seems Laurie will be diving right back into theaters in a large role playing one of the leading forces in one of next summer’s high-profile blockbusters.
THR reports that Laurie is currently in negotiations to official sign on for MGM’s Robocop remake. If successful, Laurie would play the “evil and ultra-rich CEO of Omnicorp”, the company that is responsible for the titular half man half machine hero. Also, he would join cast members Joel Kinnaman, Gary Oldman, Samuel L. Jackson, and Abbie Cornish, all of which who
The story of Robocop, from writer Josh Zetumer, follows Officer Alex Murphy who upon the brink of his death is brought back to life to become a crime fighting cyborg. Oldman will play the character of Norton, the conflicted scientist who creates the cyborg and wants Murphy to reconnect with his humanity but at the same time has to meet the needs of the corporation for which he is employed. Jackson, on the other hand, will be playing the role of Pat Novak, simply described as “a charismatic TV mogul and a powerful force in the Robocop world”. Cornish meanwhile will play Murphy’s wife who she believes is now a widow following Murphy’s accident.
This will be Laurie’s first big live-action role in theaters since 2008′s Street Kings with Keanu Reeves. However, Laurie has certainly lent his voice to a large number of animated films over the years while busy on House, including Arthur Christmas, Hop,Monsters vs. Aliens, and most recently an upcoming animated version of The Canterville Ghost which will also co-star good friend and former comedy partner Stephen Fry.
Directed by Jose Padilha, Robocop is scheduled to hit theaters on August 9th, 2013, with principal photography hoping to start in Toronto this September.
