Sony Reboots Starship Troopers After Helldivers Movie Announcement

Sony is actively developing a new reboot of the Starship Troopers franchise, with acclaimed director Neill Blomkamp, known for films like District 9, Elysium, and Chappie, set to helm the project. Blomkamp will not only direct but also write this new adaptation of Robert A. Heinlein's seminal 1959 military sci-fi novel. This development has been confirmed by reputable sources such as The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline, and Variety.

This upcoming film is distinct from Paul Verhoeven's 1997 cult classic Starship Troopers, which offered a satirical take on Heinlein's work. Instead, Blomkamp's version aims to be a fresh interpretation directly based on the original novel. The project is being produced under Sony's Columbia Pictures.

Paul Verhoeven's Starship Troopers took a satirical approach to the novel it was based on. Photo by TriStar Pictures/Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images.

Interestingly, Sony's decision to greenlight this new Starship Troopers film comes at a time when they are also developing a live-action adaptation of the popular PlayStation game Helldivers. Helldivers, developed by Arrowhead, draws heavy inspiration from Verhoeven’s Starship Troopers, featuring a similar theme of soldiers fighting alien bugs in a satirical fascist regime. This overlap raises questions about potential competition between the two projects within Sony's portfolio.

Blomkamp's adaptation seeks to explore the themes and narrative of Heinlein's book, which is notably different in tone from Verhoeven’s satirical film. Heinlein's novel is often interpreted as promoting ideals that Verhoeven’s movie critiqued.

As of now, neither the new Starship Troopers film nor the Helldivers movie has a confirmed release date, suggesting that 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, a film adaptation of the PlayStation racing simulation series.