Editing RoboCop 2 (section)

=== 1988–1989: Frank Miller's ''RoboCop 2'' ===
[[File:Frank Miller.jpg|thumb|upright|right|[[Frank Miller]] in 1982. His script for ''RoboCop 2'' went through four drafts, and he later used an early treatment for a comic book series.]]

In order for a sequel to still be possible, Orion had to sign a [[waiver]] to develop other ''RoboCop'' scripts, and, before he was fired, Neumeier recommended two popular comic book authors to write them: [[Alan Moore]] and [[Frank Miller]].{{sfn|Kelly|2014|p=119}} Moore declined the offer, citing a lack of interest in working on movies. Miller, who had become popular for his [[The Dark Knight Returns|edgy, "tragic hero" take]] on the [[Batman]] character,{{sfn|Kelly|2014|p=119}} signed on to the project after Miner and Neumeier had been fired. His script went through four drafts.{{sfn|Kelly|2014|p=119}}{{sfn|Persons|1990|p=20}} While there had been no reports of Miller taking influence from Neumeier's script, ''The Corporate Wars'', both versions of the script have several things in common, including the concepts of corporate executives trying to buy out entire governments and highly addictive drugs causing mass violence.{{sfn|Persons|1990|p=20}}

Miller's first draft was less comic and had a bigger emphasis on [[corporatism]] than the final film, with the last showdown pitting RoboCop against OCP forces instead of RoboCop 2.{{sfn|Persons|1990|p=21}} While ''[[RoboCop]]'' (1987) producer [[Jon Davison (film producer)|Jon Davison]] praised its grittiness, "inventive action," humor, and politics, Orion rejected the script as "unfilmable" and brought in a screenwriter of the violent western film ''[[The Wild Bunch]]'' (1969), [[Walon Green]], to re-write it.{{sfn|Kelly|2014|p=119}} Cut material included backstories for Anne Lewis and the marriage between Alex Murphy and his wife Ellen.{{sfn|Kelly|2014|p=122}} Miller later used his treatment as the basis for [[RoboCop (comics)#Avatar Press|his own series of ''RoboCop'' comics published in the 2000s]].{{sfn|Kelly|2014|p=119}}