Sony Officially Reboots Starship Troopers After Helldivers Movie Announcement

Sony is reportedly developing a new reboot of the iconic "Starship Troopers" franchise, with acclaimed director Neill Blomkamp, known for films like "District 9," "Elysium," and "Chappie," set to write and direct. This information comes from trusted sources such as The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline, and Variety.

This upcoming project is a fresh take on Robert A. Heinlein's 1959 military sci-fi novel "Starship Troopers," and it will not be connected to Paul Verhoeven's 1997 cult classic film of the same name, which offered a satirical spin on the original book. Instead, Blomkamp's version will be a direct adaptation, produced by Sony's Columbia Pictures.

Paul Verhoeven's "Starship Troopers" took a satirical approach to Heinlein's novel. Photo by TriStar Pictures/Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images.

The announcement of Blomkamp's involvement raises some eyebrows, especially considering Sony's recent announcement of 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 for a satirical fascist regime called Super Earth against alien bugs and other foes, all while promoting the concepts of Liberty and Managed Democracy.

With both new "Starship Troopers" and "Helldivers" films in the works, Sony faces the challenge of differentiating these projects, especially since The Hollywood Reporter clarified that Blomkamp's film will focus on the source material, which has a notably different tone from Verhoeven's movie. Heinlein's original novel is often interpreted as promoting the very ideals that Verhoeven's film satirized.

As of now, neither the new "Starship Troopers" nor the "Helldivers" movie has a set release date, suggesting fans may have to wait a while before seeing either project come to fruition. Blomkamp's most recent work was "Gran Turismo," another Sony production based on the renowned PlayStation racing game series.