We’re pretty sure that it won’t be long before we get a point where about a fortnight after a film comes out, they’ll already have released a remake. With the gap between movie and remake getting short and shorter, it’s been announced that a new version of the 80s comedy Short Circuit is in the works.
The 1986 original follows an experimental robot who gets struck by lightning and somehow develops self awareness (strange that you never hear about this happening in real life when things get struck by lightning) and then has to try and escape being captured by his creator, who doesn’t believe Johnny 5 truly is alive.
The remake is being put together by Dimension Films, with Dan Milano (Robot Chicken) tapped to write the screenplay. Apparently he’s promised to bring a subversive edge to the script. According to the producers, “We’re bringing Number 5 into the 21st Century and taking advantage of the improvements in robotics that are so massive that robots are now performing heart surgeries in hospitals”.
Let’s just hope they do a good job of it, as it would be shame to spoil such a fun original.
For more on the original Short Circuit and other movie robots, make sure you read our feature, Why We Love Robots