Sony Revives Starship Troopers Post-Helldivers Film

Sony is reportedly developing a fresh cinematic reboot of Starship Troopers, according to multiple Hollywood insiders.

The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that acclaimed director Neill Blomkamp, known for District 9, Elysium, and Chappie, will helm a new adaptation of Robert A. Heinlein's seminal 1959 military sci-fi novel. The news has been corroborated by industry publications Deadline and Variety.

This upcoming Starship Troopers film won't serve as a sequel or spinoff to Paul Verhoeven's iconic 1997 sci-fi satire. Instead, it represents a brand-new interpretation of Heinlein's original work, produced by Sony's Columbia Pictures.

Blomkamp's attachment to this Starship Troopers reboot raises eyebrows considering Sony's concurrent development of a Helldivers live-action film. The PlayStation-exclusive shooter clearly draws inspiration from Verhoeven's vision, depicting expendable soldiers defending a parody fascist regime against alien insect hordes while propagandizing "Liberty and Managed Democracy."

Sony now faces potential overlap between these two similarly-themed projects, though Blomkamp's version reportedly aims to be truer to Heinlein's original novel rather than a remake of Verhoeven's film. Notably, the book's political undertones starkly contrast with the movie's satirical approach.

Neither the Starship Troopers reboot nor the Helldivers adaptation have announced release dates, suggesting audiences may wait awhile for updates. Blomkamp's most recent directorial effort was Sony's Gran Turismo, based on the popular racing simulator franchise.