After Announcing a Helldivers Movie, Sony Is Now Officially Rebooting Starship Troopers

Sony Pictures is developing a new film adaptation of Robert A. Heinlein's 1959 science fiction novel, Starship Troopers. Neill Blomkamp, director of District 9, Elysium, and Chappie, is attached to write and direct this new project, according to reports from The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline, and Variety.

This new adaptation is distinct from Paul Verhoeven's 1997 satirical film of the same name. Instead, it aims to be a fresh interpretation of Heinlein's original novel. The project originates from Sony's Columbia Pictures.

The announcement of Blomkamp's involvement is intriguing, considering Sony's concurrent development of a live-action film based on the PlayStation Studios game Helldivers. Helldivers, created by Arrowhead Game Studios, draws significant inspiration from Verhoeven's Starship Troopers, sharing its themes of soldiers fighting alien insects while upholding a somewhat satirical political ideology.

This creates an interesting scenario for Sony, potentially pitting two films with thematic connections against each other. However, The Hollywood Reporter clarifies that Blomkamp's Starship Troopers is not a remake of Verhoeven's film, but rather a new adaptation of the source novel. Heinlein's book differs considerably in tone from Verhoeven's adaptation, leading many to believe it promotes the very ideals the film satirizes.

Neither the new Starship Troopers nor the Helldivers film has a confirmed release date. Blomkamp's most recent film was Sony's Gran Turismo, another adaptation of a popular PlayStation franchise.