Dimension to Remake ‘Short Circuit’

Published by Jeff Leins on April 4, 2008

Dimension Films has acquired rights to Short Circuit and is planning a modern remake.

The original in 1986 told the story of Johnny Five, a robot built by the military to be a weapon, but after it was struck by lightning it gained a personality. Johnny Five is alive.

According to Variety, Dimension co-chair Bob Weinstein personally made the deal to bring the rights to the studio. The original writers, Brent Maddock and S.S. Wilson who created the robot and wrote the two movies, will return to write the remake. I guess they aren’t going for a new take on the characters…

It’s still early to talk casting choices, but I’m willing to bet everything I own that Steve Guttenberg won’t be back.

Even some of the same producers are on board. One of them, David Foster, said the film will be similar in theme to the original, but it will factor in advances in technology. Hopefully this means Johnny Five will be made of liquid metal.

As much as I enjoyed the two movies as a kid, they’re incredibly dated now. I’d have a hard time re-watching them again without laughing at the absurdity. But one thing that’ll always stick with me, and culture as a whole, is a perfectly written line that I still use in verbal arguments.

“Your mother was a snowblower!”

Oh well, even though this sounds like another lazy remake, we’ll always have the new robot with a personality.  Wall-E.