Detroit science center no longer planning for RoboCop statue
The largest fictional keeper of law and order in Detroit may not stand watch at one Motor City museum as planned
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The largest fictional keeper of law and order in Detroit may not stand watch at one Motor City museum as planned.
The Michigan Science Center announced Wednesday that it no longer plans to be home to an 11-foot-tall bronze RoboCop statue The Detroit News reported.
Due to “unprecedented pressures” from the coronavirus pandemic, “resources must now be entirely focused on our core mission of serving Michigan’s students and families,” the center said in a statement.
The 1987 film “RoboCop” was set — but not filmed — in a futuristic and crime-ridden Detroit. The title character, a cyborg police officer, was played by actor Peter Weller.
The statue was crowdfunded through a Kickstarter campaign. Organizers wrote last year that the stainless-steel base weighed half a ton.
The idea for the statue appears to have started about a decade ago when a Twitter user, who tagged then-Detroit Mayor Dave Bing in a tweet, noted that Philadelphia has a statue of another movie icon, boxer Rocky Balboa, and that RoboCop would be a “GREAT ambassador for Detroit.”
Bing tweeted back, saying there were no plans in Detroit for a statue of RoboCop. But Detroiters Brandon Walley, a filmmaker, and Jerry Paffendorf, co-founder and CEO at Loveland Technologies, ran with the idea, envisioning it as a tourist attraction.
The campaign that launched in 2012 raised $67,436 from more than 2,700 backers worldwide. The statue was created by Detroit sculptor Giorgio Gikas.
The group behind the statue now is seeking a new location, according to The Detroit News.