Who directed the 1987 science-fiction action film RoboCop?

Paul Verhoeven directed the 1987 science-fiction action film RoboCop.

The film follows Detroit police officer Alex Murphy, who is murdered by criminals and rebuilt as a heavily armored cyborg by the corporation Omni Consumer Products. RoboCop’s mission to enforce the law gradually conflicts with corporate control and fragments of his former identity.

Verhoeven, a Dutch filmmaker, made RoboCop after establishing a reputation in the Netherlands. The film combines violent action with satire aimed at privatization, consumer culture, corporate power, and sensationalist news media. Its exaggerated tone can make it easy to classify as only an action movie, but its social commentary is a defining feature.

Peter Weller played RoboCop, while Nancy Allen played officer Anne Lewis. The film’s success led to sequels, an animated series, television productions, and a 2014 remake, but Verhoeven directed the original 1987 film.