Peter Weller didn’t reprise his role as the titular cyborg police officer inRoboCop 3, and the franchise never explained why Robert John Burke took over for him.RoboCop 3is widely regarded as theworstRoboCopmoviein the entire franchise.RoboCop 3lost the R-rating of one ofPaul Verhoeven’s best American films, it lost the edgy feel and satirical bite that the original had, and, curiously, it lost Peter Weller as its lead actor. Without Weller,RoboCop 3felt like an entirely different franchise, and many have wondered why he didn’t reprise his most famous role.
RoboCopwas, at one time, one of the best action franchises in cinema. The original movie made $53 million on a budget of just $8 million, and it spawned a massive number of games, ad placements, sequels, and even apotential upcomingRoboCopTV show. Peter Weller stood to make a huge amount of money by signing ontoRoboCop 3, yet he turned down the offer nonetheless. Weller actually had a very good reason to turn it down, though, and his replacement - Robert John Burke - had a slew of problems in trying to finish out the trilogy in Weller’s stead.
Peter Weller Passed On RoboCop 3 To Do Naked Lunch
Weller Desperately Wanted To Star In Naked Lunch & Passed Up RoboCop 3 To Do So
The main reason Peter Weller passed up the chance to play RoboCop one last time is because of a simple scheduling conflict.Weller couldn’t star inRoboCop 3because he chose to film David Cronenberg’sNaked Lunchinstead, and the two movies were both filmed in January and February 1991. Weller played the lead role of Bill Lee in the unabashedly weird, surrealist, and historically controversial movie adaptation of William S. Borroughs' 1959 novel of the same name.Naked Lunchfollows Bill as he begins experimenting with hallucinogenic drugs and finds himself embroiled in espionage work for several different anthropomorphic insects.
Weller couldn’t star in RoboCop 3 because he chose to film David Cronenberg’s Naked Lunch instead, and the two movies were both filmed in January and February 1991.
For Peter Weller, choosingNaked LunchoverRoboCop 3was an extremely easy decision. Weller told the Canadian newspaperTimes Colonistthat he had first read the novel “Naked Lunch” when he was 18 years old, and he instantly fell in love with it.One of the cinematographers on the set ofRoboCop 2told him David Cronenberg was set to adaptNaked Lunch, and Weller tried to get the part “Avidly. Voraciously. Like a Pac-Man.“He chased down the cinematographer and asked for Cronenberg’s home address while still wearing the RoboCop armor, and he wrote to the director the same day.
RoboCop 3 Came As Robert John Burke’s Acting Career Began To Take Off
Prior to taking Peter Weller’s place as Alex Murphy and RoboCop, Robert John Burke wasn’t a huge name in Hollywood. Burke had a few small roles in films likeThe ChosenandGangster Wars, as well as in an episode ofThe Equalizer, throughout the 1980s.It wasn’t until 1989’sThe Unbelievable Truththat Burke had his big break and secured a leading role. Then, he had a few more leading roles in films likeDust DevilandSimple Men.Dust Devilwas probably his best preparation forRoboCop 3, as his character was just as intense and violent.
How Robert John Burke’s RoboCop Compared To Peter Weller’s
Robert John Burke Could Never Live Up To Peter Weller, But He Was Still The Brightest Part Of RoboCop 3
Unfortunately for Robert John Burke,RoboCopis one of Peter Weller’s most iconic movies for a reason, and nobody was going to be able to live up to his example.The simple truth is that Burke simply wasn’t as good at playing RoboCop as Weller was. That’s not to say that Burke gave a poor performance; in reality, he was by far the brightest spot in an otherwise horrendous movie. He matched Weller’s body language and cadence almost perfectly, and one of the main complaints of his performance - RoboCop’s overly digitized voice - was more the fault of the film’s production team.
Will Another RoboCop Sequel Ever Happen?
It’s been 10 years since the RoboCop remake was released, but will a direct sequel to the original film series ever be released?
The biggest thing that held Robert John Burke’sRoboCopouting back was the movie itself:RoboCop 3has just 9% onRotten Tomatoes. It’s also notoriously difficult to play a cyborg or any type of emotionless machine and give a moving performance, which hindered Burke even further.On top of it all, Burke had to act in a 150-pound steel and fiberglass suit that would often pinch and poke him, which made the entire filming process physically painful for him(viaBobbie Wygant). In spite of all the obstacles he had to overcome inRoboCop 3, Robert John Burke gave an admirable performance.
RoboCop 3
Cast
RoboCop 3 follows the android law enforcer as he navigates the conflict between a powerful corporation, Omni Consumer Products, and the citizens of Detroit. Amid the corporation’s aggressive efforts to displace residents for their ambitious Delta City project, RoboCop must choose sides in the battle involving oppressive forces and a growing resistance.
