Sony is actively developing a new reboot of the Starship Troopers franchise, as confirmed by multiple Hollywood sources including The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline, and Variety. Neill Blomkamp, known for directing films like District 9, Elysium, and Chappie, has been tapped to both write and direct this fresh take on Robert A. Heinlein's 1959 military sci-fi novel.
This upcoming Starship Troopers film will not be a sequel or connected to Paul Verhoeven's 1997 cult classic, which was a satirical take on Heinlein's work. Instead, Blomkamp's project, produced by Sony's Columbia Pictures, aims to be a direct adaptation of the original novel.
The announcement of Blomkamp's involvement comes at an interesting time, especially as Sony recently revealed plans for a live-action adaptation of the PlayStation Studios game Helldivers. Helldivers, developed by Arrowhead, draws heavy inspiration from Verhoeven's Starship Troopers, featuring soldiers fighting alien bugs in a satirical fascist regime dubbed Super Earth.
With both projects in development, Sony faces the unique challenge of managing two films that, while distinct in their approach to the source material, share thematic similarities. Blomkamp's version is poised to explore the original novel's themes, which some interpret as endorsing the very ideals that Verhoeven's film critiqued.
Currently, neither the new Starship Troopers nor the Helldivers film has a set release date, suggesting fans might have to wait a while to see these projects come to fruition. Blomkamp's most recent directorial effort was Sony's Gran Turismo, an adaptation of the popular PlayStation driving simulation game series.
