Editing RoboCop (section)

== Production ==
=== Conception and writing ===
''RoboCop'' was conceived in the early 1980s by [[Universal Pictures]] junior story executive and aspiring screenwriter [[Edward Neumeier]].{{efn|Attributed to multiple references:<ref name="TheDissolveNeumeier"/><ref name="UproxxRetro"/>{{sfn|Goldberg|1988|p=22}}<ref name="SFX"/>}} A fan of robot-themed science-fiction films, ''[[Star Wars]]'', and action films, Neumeier had developed an interest in mature comic books while researching them for potential adaptation.<ref name="TheDissolveNeumeier"/><ref name="SFX"/>{{sfn|Sammon|1987|p=7}} The 1982 science-fiction film ''[[Blade Runner]]'' was filming on the [[Warner Bros.]] lot behind Neumeier's office, and he unofficially joined the production to learn about filmmaking.<ref name="TheDissolveNeumeier"/>{{sfn|Goldberg|1988|p=22}}<ref name="SFX"/> His work there gave him the idea for ''RoboCop'': "I had this vision of a far-distant, ''Blade Runner''–type world where there was an all-mechanical cop coming to a sense of real human intelligence".<ref name="TheDissolveNeumeier"/>{{sfn|Goldberg|1988|p=22}} He spent the next few nights writing a 40-page outline.<ref name="TheDissolveNeumeier"/>

While researching story submissions for Universal, Neumeier came across a student video by aspiring director Michael Miner.<ref name="EsquireOral"/><ref name="UproxxRetro"/>{{sfn|Goldberg|1988|p=22}} The pair met and discussed their similar concepts: Neumeier's ''RoboCop'' and Miner's robot-themed rock [[music video]]. In a 2014 interview, Miner said that he also had an idea called ''SuperCop''.<ref name="EsquireOral"/><ref name="TheDissolveNeumeier"/>{{sfn|Goldberg|1988|p=22}} They formed a working partnership and spent about two months discussing the idea and two to three months writing together at night and over weekends, in addition to their regular jobs.{{efn|Attributed to multiple references:<ref name="EsquireOral"/><ref name="TheDissolveNeumeier"/>{{sfn|Goldberg|1988|p=22}}<ref name="LATimesNeumeier"/>}} Their collaboration was initially difficult because they did not know each other well, and had to learn how to constructively criticize each other.{{sfn|Goldberg|1988|pp=22–23}}

Neumeier was influenced to [[kill off]] his main character early by the psychological horror film ''[[Psycho (1960 film)|Psycho]]'' (1960), whose main character is killed early in the film. Inspired by comic books and his experience with corporate culture, Neumeier wanted to satirize 1980s business culture. He noted the increasing aggression of American financial services in response to growing Japanese influence and the popularity on [[Wall Street]] of ''[[The Book of Five Rings]]'', a 17th-century book about how to kill more effectively. Neumeier also believed that [[Detroit]]'s declining automobile industry was due to increased bureaucracy. ED-209's malfunction in the OCP boardroom was based on Neumeier's office daydreams about a robot bursting into a meeting and killing everyone.<ref name="TheDissolveNeumeier"/>{{sfn|Sammon|1987|p=7}}<ref name="ViceNeumeier"/> Miner described the film as "comic relief for a cynical time" during the [[President of the United States|presidency]] of [[Ronald Reagan]], when economist "[[Milton Friedman]] and the [[Chicago Boys]] ransacked the world, enabled by Reagan and the [[Central Intelligence Agency]]. So when you have this cop who works for a corporation that insists 'I own you,' and he still does the right thing—that's the core of the film." Neumeier and Miner conceived the in-universe news and advertisement "Media Breaks" that appear throughout ''RoboCop'', and a [[spec script]] was completed by December 1984.<ref name="EsquireOral"/>

=== Development ===
[[File:Paul Verhoeven Cannes 2016.jpg|thumb|alt=A 2016 photograph of Paul Verhoeven|upright|Director [[Paul Verhoeven]] ''(pictured in 2016)'' rejected the ''RoboCop'' script twice before taking to its underlying story about a character losing his identity.]]
The first draft of the script, ''RoboCop: The Future of Law Enforcement'', was given to industry friends and associates in early 1985.{{efn|Attributed to multiple references:<ref name="TheDissolveNeumeier"/><ref name="SFX"/><ref name="LATimesNeumeier"/>{{sfn|Goldberg|1988|pp=23–24}}}} A month later, Neumeier and Miner had two offers: one from [[Atlantic Entertainment Group|Atlantic Releasing]]<ref name="LATimesNeumeier"/> and another from director [[Jonathan Kaplan]] and producer [[Jon Davison (film producer)|Jon Davison]] with [[Orion Pictures]].<ref name="UproxxRetro"/>{{sfn|Goldberg|1988|pp=23–24}} An experienced producer of [[exploitation film|exploitation]] and [[B movie|B films]] such as the parody ''[[Airplane!]]'' (1980), Davison said that he was drawn to the script's satire.<ref name="TheDissolveNeumeier"/><ref name="UproxxRetro"/>{{sfn|Goldberg|1988|pp=23–24}} He showed Neumeier and Miner films—including ''[[Madigan]]'' (1968), ''[[Dirty Harry]]'' (1971), and ''[[Mad Max 2]]'' (1981)—to demonstrate the tone he wanted. After Orion [[Green-light|greenlit]] the project, Neumeier and Miner began a second draft.{{sfn|Goldberg|1988|p=25}}

Davison produced the film with his Tobor Pictures company.{{sfn|Niderost|1987a|p=58}}{{sfn|Drake|1987|p=20}} Neumeier and Miner were paid a few thousand dollars for the script rights and $25,000 between them for the rewrite. They were entitled to eight percent of the producer profits upon release.<ref name="LATimesNeumeier"/><ref name="DeadlineBlomkamp"/> Davison's contacts with puppeteers, animators, and practical effects designers were essential to Verhoeven, who had no prior experience with them.<ref name="UproxxRetro"/> The producers discussed changing the Detroit setting, but Neumeier insisted on its importance because of its failing auto industry.  The connection between Clarence Boddicker and Dick Jones was added at Orion's suggestion.<ref name="TheDissolveNeumeier"/>

Kaplan left to direct ''[[Project X (1987 film)|Project X]]'' (1987), and finding his replacement took six months; many prospects declined because of the film's title.{{efn|Attributed to multiple references:<ref name="TheDissolveNeumeier"/>{{sfn|Goldberg|1988|p=25}}<ref name="IndieWireCast"/>{{sfn|Warren|1987|p=19}}<ref name="Telegraph"/>}} The project was offered to [[David Cronenberg]], [[Alex Cox]], and [[Monte Hellman]]; Hellman joined as [[second unit|second-unit director]].<ref name="LATimesNeumeier"/><ref name="IndieWireCast"/><ref name="AVClubAlexCox"/> Miner asked to direct, but Orion refused to trust a $7{{nbsp}}million project to an untested director.<ref name="TheDissolveNeumeier"/>{{sfn|Goldberg|1988|pp=23, 25}} He declined the second-unit director position in order to direct ''[[Deadly Weapon]]'' (1989);<ref name="TheDissolveNeumeier"/>{{sfn|Goldberg|1988|p=25}} Orion executive Barbara Boyle suggested Paul Verhoeven—who had been praised for his work on ''[[Soldier of Orange]]'' (1977) and his first English-language film, [[Flesh and Blood (1985 film)|''Flesh+Blood'']] (1985)—for director.<ref name="TheDissolveNeumeier"/><ref name="UproxxRetro"/>{{sfn|Goldberg|1988|p=25}} Verhoeven looked at the first page and rejected the script as awful, stalling the project.<ref name="EsquireOral"/><ref name="UproxxRetro"/>{{sfn|Goldberg|1988|p=25}} Boyle sent Verhoeven another copy, suggesting that he pay attention to the subtext.<ref name="TheDissolveNeumeier"/> Verhoeven was still uninterested until his wife Martine read it and encouraged him to give it a chance, saying he had missed the "soul" of the story about someone losing his identity.  Not fluent in English, Verhoeven said that the satire did not make sense to him;<ref name="EsquireOral"/> the scene that attracted his attention was RoboCop returning to Murphy's abandoned home and experiencing memories of his former life.<ref name="DallasHistory"/><ref name="EsquireOral"/>

Davison, Neumeier and Verhoeven discussed the project at [[Culver Studios]]' [[Culver Studios#Mansion House|Mansion House]].<ref name="TheDissolveNeumeier"/> Verhoeven wanted to direct it as a serious film; Neumeier gave him comic books to explain the tone they wanted, including [[2000 AD (comics)|''2000 AD'']] with the character [[Judge Dredd]].<ref name="TheDissolveNeumeier"/>{{sfn|Goldberg|1988|p=25}} Neumeier and Miner wrote a third draft based on Verhoeven's requests, working through injuries and late nights; the 92-page revision included a subplot about a romantic affair between Murphy and Lewis.<ref name="VultureTidbits"/><ref name="TheDissolveNeumeier"/>{{sfn|Goldberg|1988|p=25}} After reading it, Verhoeven admitted that he was wrong and returned to the second draft in search of a comic-book tone.<ref name="TheDissolveNeumeier"/>{{sfn|Goldberg|1988|p=25}}{{sfn|Niderost|1987d|pp=36, 38}}

=== Casting ===
[[File:Dan O'Herlihy 1955.JPG|thumb|upright|left|alt=A 1955 photograph of actor Daniel O'Herlihy|[[Dan O'Herlihy|Daniel O'Herlihy]] in 1955. His character, the Old Man, was based on [[MCA Inc.]] executive [[Lew Wasserman]].]]
Six to eight months were spent searching for an actor to play Alex Murphy / RoboCop.<ref name="UproxxRetro"/>{{sfn|Warren|1987|p=19}} [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]],<ref name="UproxxRetro"/> [[Michael Ironside]],<ref name="EmpireIronside"/> [[Rutger Hauer]], [[Tom Berenger]], [[Armand Assante]],<ref name="IndieWireCast"/> [[Keith Carradine]] and [[James Remar]] were considered.{{sfn|Goldberg|1988|p=25}} Orion favored Schwarzenegger, the star of their recent success ''[[The Terminator]]'' (1984),<ref name="IndieWireCast"/> but he and other actors were considered too physically imposing to be believable in the RoboCop costume; it was thought that Schwarzenegger would look like the [[Michelin Man]] or the [[Pillsbury Doughboy]].<ref name="UproxxRetro"/>{{sfn|Warren|1987|p=19}}<ref name="EmpireIronside"/> Others were reluctant because their face would be largely concealed by a helmet.{{sfn|Warren|1987|p=19}} Davison said that Weller was the only person who wanted to be in the film.{{sfn|Warren|1987|p=19}} The low salary he commanded was in his favor, as were his good body control from martial-arts training and marathon running and his fan base in the science-fiction genre after his performance in ''[[The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension]]'' (1984). Verhoeven said he hired him because "his chin was very good".<ref name="IndieWireCast"/>{{sfn|Goldberg|1988|pp=23, 25}}{{sfn|Warren|1987|p=19}} Weller spent months working with mime Moni Yakim, developing a fluid movement style with a stiff ending while wearing an American football uniform to approximate the finished costume.<ref name="EsquireOral"/><ref name="IGNHistory"/> Weller said that working with Verhoeven was his main reason for choosing the role over appearing in ''[[King Kong Lives]]'' (1986).<ref name="SFX"/><ref name="EWWeller30th"/>

[[Stephanie Zimbalist]] was cast as Murphy's partner Anne Lewis, but dropped out because of contractual obligations to ''[[Remington Steele]]'' (which had been canceled in 1986, but was revived because of its popularity).{{efn|Attributed to multiple references:<ref name="VultureTidbits"/><ref name="OrlandoSentinelZimbalist"/><ref name="SunSentinelZimbalist"/><ref name="ObserverZimbalist"/>}} Her replacement, Nancy Allen, thought the film's title was terrible but found the script engrossing. Allen was known for her long blonde hair, but Verhoeven wanted it cut short so the character was not sexualized. Her hair was cut eight times before the desired look was achieved.<ref name="SyFyAllen"/> Allen undertook police-academy training for her role, and sought advice from her [[police lieutenant]] father.<ref name="SyFyAllen"/> Verhoeven encouraged her to act masculine and gain weight, which she accomplished by quitting smoking.<ref name="VultureTidbits"/>

Kurtwood Smith auditioned for Boddicker and Jones. He was known mainly for television work, but had not had film success, and saw ''RoboCop'' as a B-film with potential.<ref name="EsquireOral"/> The character was scripted to wear glasses so he would look like [[Nazi Party]] member [[Heinrich Himmler]]. Smith was unaware of this, and interpreted it as the character having an intelligent and militaristic front to conceal being a "sneering, smirking drug kingpin".<ref name="EsquireOral"/> Ironside was offered the role, but did not want to be involved with another special effects-laden film or play a "psychopath" after working on ''[[Extreme Prejudice (film)|Extreme Prejudice]]'' (1987).<ref name="IndieWireCast"/><ref name="EmpireIronside"/><ref name="DOGCast"/> [[Robert Picardo]] also auditioned for the role.<ref name="SyFyat30"/>

Ronny Cox had been stereotyped as playing generally nice characters, and said that this left the impression that he could not play more masculine roles.<ref name="LATimesRonnyCox"/> Because of this, Verhoeven cast him as the villainous Dick Jones.<ref name="SYFYCox"/> Cox said that playing a villain was "about a gazillion times more fun than playing the good guys".<ref name="AVClubCox"/> Jones, he said, has no compassion and is an "evil [son of a bitch]".<ref name="LATimesRonnyCox"/> Miguel Ferrer was unsure if the film would be successful, but was desperate for work and would have accepted any offer.<ref name="SFX"/> The Old Man was based on [[MCA Inc.]] CEO [[Lew Wasserman]], whom Neumeier considered a powerful and intimidating individual.<ref name="TheDissolveNeumeier"/> Television host Bixby Snyder was written as an Americanized, more-extreme version of British comedian [[Benny Hill]].<ref name="EsquireOral"/> Radio personality [[Howard Stern]] was offered an unspecified role, but turned it down because he thought the idea was stupid (although he later praised the finished film).<ref name="Stern"/>

=== Filming ===
[[File:DallasCityHallB.jpg|thumb|alt=A photograph of the Dallas City Hall|[[Dallas City Hall]] appears as the exterior of OCP's headquarters. Matte paintings were used to make it appear taller.]]
[[Principal photography]] began on August 6, 1986, on an $11{{nbsp}}million budget.<ref name="afi"/><ref name="DallasObserverVerhoeven"/> [[Jost Vacano]] was the [[cinematographer]], after working with Verhoeven on ''Soldier of Orange''.{{sfn|Niderost|1987a|p=58}}<ref name="DallasObserverVerhoeven"/> Verhoeven wanted ''Blade Runner'' production designer [[Lawrence G. Paull]], but Davison said he could afford either a great production designer or a great RoboCop costume{{snd}}not both.<ref name="TheDissolveNeumeier"/><ref name="SyFyAllen"/> [[William Sandell]] was hired.<ref name="NYTimesGoodmanSandell"/> Monte Hellman directed several of the action scenes.<ref name="AVClubHellman"/>

''RoboCop'' was filmed primarily on location in [[Dallas]],<ref name="EsquireOral"/><ref name="DallasObserverVerhoeven"/><ref name="DallasNewsLocations"/> with additional filming in [[Las Colinas]] and [[Pittsburgh]].<ref name="THRPage"/><ref name="DallasObserverVerhoeven"/><ref name="LAtimesDesign"/> Verhoeven wanted a filming location which suggested the near future.<ref name="DallasObserverVerhoeven"/> Detroit was dismissed because it had many low buildings, many [[brownstone]]s and [[Victorian architecture|Victorian]]-style buildings.{{sfn|Warren|1987|p=19}}<ref name="DallasObserverVerhoeven"/> Neumeier said that it was also a [[trade union|union]] city, making it more expensive to film there.{{sfn|Bates|1987a|p=17}} Detroit made a brief appearance in nighttime, stock aerial footage at the beginning of the film.{{sfn|Sammon|1987|p=7}} Chicago was dismissed for aesthetic reasons, New York City for high costs, and California because according to Davison, Orion wanted to distance itself from the project.{{sfn|Warren|1987|p=19}}<ref name="DallasObserverVerhoeven"/> Dallas was chosen over [[Houston]] because it has modern buildings and older, less-maintained areas where explosives could be used.<ref name="DallasObserverVerhoeven"/> The filming schedule in Dallas was nine weeks, but it soon became clear that it would take longer. Based on filmed footage, Orion approved the schedule extension and a budget increase to $13.1{{nbsp}}million.<ref name="IGNHistory"/><ref name="afi"/><ref name="LATimesVerhnMakesGood"/> The weather fluctuated during filming; Dallas in summer was often {{cvt|90|to|115|F}},{{sfn|Warren|1987|p=19}}<ref name="SyFyAllen"/>{{sfn|Niderost|1987c|p=46}} and the weather in Pittsburgh was frigid.<ref name="EsquireOral"/>

RoboCop's costume was not finished until some time into filming. This did not impact the shooting schedule, but it denied Weller the month of costume rehearsal he had expected.{{efn|Attributed to multiple references:<ref name="EsquireOral"/><ref name="IndieWireCast"/>{{sfn|Warren|1987|p=19}}{{sfn|Niderost|1987c|p=48}}}} Weller was frustrated with the costume; it was too cumbersome for him to move as he had practiced, and he spent hours trying to adapt.<ref name="EsquireOral"/><ref name="IndieWireCast"/>{{sfn|Niderost|1987c|p=48}} He struggled to see through the thin helmet visor and interact with (or grab) objects while wearing the gloves.{{sfn|Niderost|1987c|p=48}}{{sfn|Niderost|1987a|p=61}} Weller fell out with Verhoeven and was fired, with [[Lance Henriksen]] considered as a replacement; because the costume was designed for Weller, however, he was encouraged to mend fences.<ref name="IndieWireCast"/> Mime Moni Yakim helped Weller to develop a slower, more deliberate way of moving.<ref name="SFX"/> Weller's experience in the costume was worsened by the warm weather, which made him sweat off up to {{cvt|3|lb}} per day.{{sfn|Warren|1987|p=19}}<ref name="IGNHistory"/> Verhoeven began taking prescription medication to cope with stress-induced insomnia, and he filmed scenes under the influence.<ref name="EWWeller"/>

[[File:Pittsburgh-steel-company-monessen-works-blast-furnace-no-1-and-no-2-donner-7.jpg|thumb|left|alt=A photograph of the Wheeling-Pittsburgh steel mill|A steel mill in Pennsylvania served as the site of RoboCop's and Clarence Boddicker's final battle.]]
He often choreographed scenes with the actors before filming.{{sfn|Bates|1987a|pp=17, 20}}{{sfn|Niderost|1987a|p=60}} Improvisation was also encouraged, because Verhoeven believed that it could produce interesting results. Smith improvised some of his character's quirks, such as sticking chewing gum to a secretary's desk and spitting blood onto the police-station counter: {{"'}}What if I spat blood on the desk?'{{nbsp}}... [Verhoeven] got this little smile on his face, and we did it."<ref name="EsquireOral"/> Neumeier was on set throughout filming and occasionally wrote additional scenes, including a New Year's Eve party after seeing some party-hat props and a news story about the [[Strategic Defense Initiative]] platform misfiring.<ref name="EsquireOral"/><ref name="TheDissolveNeumeier"/>{{sfn|Goldberg|1988|p=25}} Verhoeven found Neumeier's presence invaluable, because they could discuss how to adapt the script or location to make a scene work.<ref name="DallasObserverVerhoeven"/>

Verhoeven gained a reputation for verbal aggression and unsociable behavior on set; Smith said that he never yelled at the actors, however, but was too engrossed in filming to be sociable.<ref name="EsquireOral"/> Cox and Allen spoke warmly of Verhoeven.<ref name="SyFyAllen"/>{{sfn|Bates|1987a|p=20}} Weller spent his time between filming with the actors who played his enemies (including Smith, Ray Wise and Calvin Jung), who maintained healthy lifestyles that supported Weller in his training for the [[New York City Marathon]].<ref name="SFX"/>

A number of locations in and around Dallas were used in production. An office in [[Renaissance Tower (Dallas)|Renaissance Tower]] was used for the OCP interior of; the company's exterior is [[Dallas City Hall]], modified with [[matte painting]]s to appear taller.{{efn|Attributed to multiple references:<ref name="DallasHistory"/><ref name="DallasNewsLocations"/>{{sfn|Niderost|1987a|p=59}}<ref name="DallasFilmCommission"/>{{sfn|Bates|1987a|p=21}}}} The OCP elevator was that of the [[Plaza of the Americas (Dallas)|Plaza of the Americas]].<ref name="DallasNewsLocations"/><ref name="DallasFilmCommission"/> The Detroit police station's exterior is [[Dallas High School (Texas)|Crozier Tech High School]]; its interior is the [[Sons of Hermann]] hall, and city hall is the [[Dallas Municipal Building]].<ref name="DallasFilmCommission"/> Scenes of Boddicker's gang blowing up storefronts were filmed in the [[Deep Ellum, Dallas|Deep Ellum]] neighborhood. One explosion was larger than anticipated; actors can be seen moving out of the way, Smith had to remove his coat because it was on fire, and the actors involved received an additional $400 in stunt pay.<ref name="EsquireOral"/><ref name="DallasObserverVerhoeven"/> The [[Shell Oil Company|Shell]] gas station that explodes was in the [[Arts District, Dallas|Arts District]],<ref name="DallasNewsLocations"/><ref name="DallasFilmCommission"/> where local residents unaware of the filming called the fire department.<ref name="DallasHistory"/> The scene was scripted for flames to modify the sign to read "hell"; Davison approved it, but it does not appear in the film. Miner called it a disappointing omission.<ref name="EsquireOral"/>

The nightclub was the former Starck Club. Verhoeven was filmed demonstrating how the clubbers should dance, and used the footage in the film.<ref name="EsquireOral"/><ref name="VultureTidbits"/> Other Dallas locations included [[Central Expressway (Dallas)|César Chávez Boulevard]], the [[Reunion Arena]]<ref name="DallasFilmCommission"/> and the parking lot of [[The Crescent (Dallas)|the Crescent]].{{sfn|Bates|1987a|p=17}} The final battle between RoboCop and Boddicker's gang was filmed at a steel mill in [[Monessen, Pennsylvania|Monessen]], outside Pittsburgh.{{efn|Attributed to multiple references:<ref name="ViceNeumeier"/><ref name="DallasObserverVerhoeven"/>{{sfn|King|1986}}<ref name="DallasObserverLoc"/>}} Filming ended in late October 1986.{{sfn|Sammon|1987|p=8}}
{{Clear}}

=== {{anchor|Post production}}Post-production ===
{{Main|RoboCop (soundtrack)}}
{{anchor|score1987}}
{{Listen
| filename    = Robocop theme - Basil Poledouris.ogg
| title       = "Rock Shop" by Basil Poledouris
| description = The main theme of ''RoboCop'' by [[Basil Poledouris]]. Performed by the [[Sinfonia of London]], the score combines orchestral music with synthesizers.}}
An additional $600,000 budget increase was approved by Orion for post-production and the music score, raising the budget to $13.7{{nbsp}}million.{{efn|Attributed to multiple references:<ref name="UproxxRetro"/>{{sfn|Goldberg|1988|p=25}}<ref name="afi"/><ref name="LATimesVerhnMakesGood"/>}}{{efn-lr|The 1987 budget of $13.7{{nbsp}}million is equivalent to ${{Format price|{{Inflation|US|13700000|1987}}}} in {{Inflation/year|US}}.}}

[[Frank J. Urioste]] was the film's editor.<ref name="IndieWire10Things"/> Several [[Pick-up (filmmaking)|pick-up]] shots were filmed during this phase, including Murphy's death, RoboCop removing his helmet, and shots of his leg holster.{{sfn|Sammon|1987|pp=23,38}} After the OCP boardroom scene in which RoboCop calls himself Murphy, another scene revealed that Lewis was alive in a hospital before showing RoboCop on patrol. The latter scene was thought to lessen the former's triumphant feeling, and was removed.{{sfn|Warren|1987|p=72}}{{sfn|Sammon|1987|p=41}} Verhoeven wanted the in-film Media Breaks to abruptly interrupt the narrative and unsettle the viewer. He was influenced by [[Piet Mondrian]]'s art, which featured stark black lines separating colored squares.<ref name="EsquireOral"/> Peter Conn directed many of the Media Breaks, but "TJ Lazer" was directed by Neumeier.{{sfn|Sammon|1987|pp=8–9, 24}}

''RoboCop''{{'}}s violent content made it difficult to receive an [[Motion Picture Association film rating system#MPA film ratings|R rating]] from the [[Motion Picture Association|Motion Picture Association of America]] (MPAA), which restricted the film to viewers over 17 unless accompanied by an adult. It initially received the more-restrictive [[X rating]], limiting the film to those over 17.<ref name="EsquireOral"/><ref name="IndieWireCast"/><ref name="LATimesRating"/> Although some reports suggest it was refused an R-rating eleven times, Verhoeven said that the number was actually eight.<ref name="EsquireOral"/><ref name="IndieWireCast"/> The MPAA took issue with several scenes, including Murphy's death and ED-209 shooting an executive.<ref name="LATimesVerhnMakesGood"/><ref name="IndieWire10Things"/> The violent scenes were shortened and Media Breaks were added to help lighten the mood; Verhoeven recalled that one reviewer was confused by their jarring appearance in the film, and complained that the projectionist had used the wrong [[film reel]].<ref name="EsquireOral"/><ref name="IndieWireCast"/>

The MPAA also objected to a scene of a mutated Emil being disintegrated by Boddicker's car, but Verhoeven, Davison and Orion refused to remove it because it consistently received the biggest laughs during test screenings.<ref name="UproxxRetro"/>{{sfn|Warren|1987|p=20}} Verhoeven made the violence comical and surreal, and believed that the cuts made the scenes appear more (not less) violent.<ref name="EsquireOral"/><ref name="IndieWireCast"/> He said that his young children laughed at the X-rated cut, and audiences laughed less at the R-rated version.<ref name="EsquireOral"/><ref name="LATimesVerhnMakesGood"/> According to Verhoeven, people "love seeing violence and horrible things".<ref name="LATimesVerhnMakesGood"/> The film is 103 minutes long.<ref name="BBFCRuntime"/>

[[Basil Poledouris]] composed the [[film score]] after working with Verhoeven on ''Flesh + Blood''.<ref name="DOGWhereareThey"/> The score combines synthesizers and orchestral music, reflecting RoboCop's [[cyborg]] nature. The music was performed by the [[Sinfonia of London]].<ref name="FilmTracks"/><ref name="Sinfonia"/>