Earlier this month, it was reported that director Jose Padilha (Elite Squad) was in talks to helm MGM’s Robocop remake. Well, now it looks everything came through as Padilha told G1, “It’s closed,” regarding his deal to direct. Last week, Josh Zetumer came aboard to pen the script for the film. While Zetumer currently has no produced screenplays in the can, his spy-thriller script Infiltrator ended up on the “Black List” and is now in development at Warner Bros. with Leonardo DiCaprio tapped to star. In addition, the scribe penned a draft of the ever-changing fourth installment of The Bourne Identity franchise.The Robocop remake has a bit of a troubled past, as Darren Aronofsky came on board to direct in 2008, but then MGM fell into bankruptcy and Aronofsky left the project. With Zetumer recently being drafted to pen the script, production on this flick is still probably a ways off.[Update: An interview with Padilha has surfaced online and he talks a bit about his involvement with the film and how far along it is. Hit the jump to see what he said.]In an interview with MotionTV (translated into English), Padilha was asked when we can expect to see the Robocop remake:

“It's a project I'm developing from the very beginning together with Josh Zetumer, which is the screenwriter, and there's no deadline really. When the screenplay turns out good enough, then we will start shooting.”

So it sounds like, since Zetumer was just recently added, the project is very much in the development phase. When asked why he thinks MGM chose him as the right director to helm the film, Padilha had this to say:

“I don't know. I think they saw my movies and felt there was something there that could bring to the present day this controversial, yet different, violent movie which is Robocop without misrepresenting it.”

Here’s the interview. The English subtitles begin at 3:20 and last until about 7:00 in.