[_____V_____]

There are signs of life once again in the long-unplugged "Short Circuit" remake.

Dimension Films is going forward with the new adventures of Number 5 (later "Johnny 5") as the studio has hired Tim Hill to direct the robot mayhem, according to Deadline.

The project originally had Steve Carr ("Paul Blart: Mall Cop") attached to direct with Dan Milano set to write the screenplay. Things were shut down back in 2009, and now the studio has turned the power back on.

Hill ("Hop," "Alvin and the Chipmunks") will supervise a new script about an experimental military robot designed to be the perfect weapon that becomes sentient (and lovable) after it's struck by lightning.

The original "Short Circuit" was released in 1986 and starred Ally Sheedy, Steve Guttenberg and Fisher Stevens (and his rather peculiar accent). Stevens and Johnny Five returned for the 1988 sequel, "Short Circuit 2."

"Short Circuit" was no classic (and the sequel was even worse), but some impressive work could be done with today's filmmaking technology to make Number Five alive again -- those "Transformers" movies were pretty impressive, after all, and "Real Steel" looks to be a champ, too. And the kids would eat it up, no questions asked.