Joel Kinnaman, new action hero in RoboCop

MANILA, Philippines - Man and machine unite in Columbia Pictures’ RoboCop, a reimagining of the ’80s cult classic, starring Joel Kinnaman (TV’s The Killing, The Darkest Hour).

In the film, police officer Alex Murphy (Joel) becomes the star product of OmniCorp, the world’s leading robotics-defense company. In a Detroit ravaged by crime, OmniCorp sees an opening for the perfect policeman — a robot that can clean up the city, without putting police lives at risk. Trouble is, the idea of a robot pulling the trigger makes people anxious. To get it done, they compromise: After Murphy is mortally wounded, he wakes up in the hospital mostly a robot, barely a man at all — but all cop.

“OmniCorp’s idea is that they need a man inside the machine, a man who makes the decisions so the corporation won’t be held liable if something goes wrong,” says Joel.

“They leave his emotions intact in social situations, but when facing a threat or when a crime is committed, the computer takes over. When they realize his emotions make the system vulnerable, they completely shut them off. But when Alex comes in contact with his family, his emotions find a way back and override the computer system. He starts making his own decisions again.”

(RoboCop opens today in theaters nationwide.)