Sony is reportedly 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 write and direct. This new project, announced by The Hollywood Reporter and confirmed by Deadline and Variety, will be a fresh adaptation of Robert A. Heinlein's 1959 military sci-fi novel, produced by Sony's Columbia Pictures. It is important to note that this film will not be a sequel or related to Paul Verhoeven's 1997 cult classic, which satirized the original novel.
The announcement of Blomkamp's involvement in the new Starship Troopers project comes at an interesting time, as Sony recently revealed plans for a live-action adaptation of the popular PlayStation game Helldivers. Helldivers, developed by Arrowhead, draws significant inspiration from Verhoeven's Starship Troopers, featuring soldiers fighting alien bugs in a satirical fascist regime. This raises questions about potential competition between the two projects, though The Hollywood Reporter clarifies that Blomkamp's film will focus on the source material from Heinlein's novel, which differs significantly in tone from Verhoeven's satirical take.
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 with Sony on the film Gran Turismo, an adaptation of the PlayStation driving simulation series.
