'BEETLEJUICE' STAR MICHAEL KEATON SET TO PLAY VILLAINOUS 'ROBOCOP' ROLE

Earlier this week it appeared that things weren't too rosy in the 'Robocop' camp and even Brazilian helmer José Padilha was starting to break. But the August 2013 release for the reboot is still a goer and what's more the role for the villain, originally set to be 'House' star Hugh Laurie, has been reselected with a damn decent piece of casting. 'Beetlejuice' actor Michael Keaton has been thrown into the role of Raymond Sellars, the CEO of OmniCorp the guys behind the creation of 'RoboCop'. The shoot kicks off next month in Toronto with the secured cast list that includes Samuel L. Jackson ('The Avengers'), Gary Oldman ('The Dark Knight Rises'), Jackie Earle Haley ('A Nightmare on Elm Street'), Abbie Cornish ('Sucker Punch'), Michael Kenneth Williams ('Boardwalk Empire') and Marianne Jean-Baptiste. This is quite the score for the talented Michael Keaton -below ('White Noise') who hasn't exactly been hitting the heights with decent roles in recent years. And we're still holding out hope for 'Beetlejuice 2'.

"In RoboCop, the year is 2029 and multinational conglomerate OmniCorp is at the center of robot technology. Their drones are winning American wars around the globe and now they want to bring this technology to the home front. Alex Murphy is a loving husband, father and good cop doing his best to stem the tide of crime and corruption in Detroit. After he is critically injured in the line of duty, OmniCorp utilizes their remarkable science of robotics to save Alex's life. He returns to the streets of his beloved city with amazing new abilities, but with issues a regular man has never had to face before."

Michael Keaton Joins 'RoboCop'