Sony is reportedly working on a new reboot of the classic military sci-fi novel Starship Troopers, with director Neill Blomkamp, known for films like District 9, Elysium, and Chappie, set to helm the project. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline, and Variety, Blomkamp will both write and direct this new adaptation, which is being developed by Sony's Columbia Pictures.
This upcoming film is a fresh take on Robert A. Heinlein's 1959 novel and is not connected to Paul Verhoeven's 1997 cult classic, which satirized the source material. Verhoeven’s movie, known for its satirical take on fascist themes, starkly contrasts with Heinlein's original work, which some interpret as promoting the very ideals the film mocks.
Paul Verhoeven's Starship Troopers satirized the novel upon which it is based. Photo by TriStar Pictures/Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images.
The announcement of Blomkamp's involvement in this new Starship Troopers project is intriguing, especially given Sony's recent reveal of a live-action adaptation of the PlayStation game Helldivers. Helldivers, developed by Arrowhead, draws significant inspiration from Verhoeven’s Starship Troopers, featuring soldiers defending a satirical fascist regime from alien bugs while promoting concepts like Liberty and Managed Democracy.
Sony now finds itself in a unique position with both the new Starship Troopers and Helldivers films in development. While The Hollywood Reporter emphasizes that Blomkamp’s film will be a direct adaptation of Heinlein's novel rather than a remake of Verhoeven’s movie, the thematic overlap between the two projects could lead to interesting comparisons.
Neither the new Starship Troopers nor the Helldivers movie has a confirmed release date yet, suggesting that fans may have to wait a while before seeing either project come to fruition. Blomkamp's most recent work was Sony's Gran Turismo, an adaptation of the popular PlayStation racing simulation series.
