Sony Officially Reboots Starship Troopers After Helldivers Movie Announcement

Sony is set to reboot the iconic Starship Troopers franchise with a new film, according to reports from The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline, and Variety. The project will be helmed by acclaimed director Neill Blomkamp, known for his work on films such as District 9, Elysium, and Chappie. Blomkamp is both writing and directing this new adaptation of Robert A. Heinlein's 1959 military sci-fi novel.

This upcoming movie is a fresh take on Heinlein's original work and is not connected to Paul Verhoeven's 1997 cult classic, which famously satirized the source material. The new film is being produced by Sony's Columbia Pictures and aims to return to the themes and tone of the novel, which many interpret as promoting the ideals that Verhoeven's film mocked.

Paul Verhoeven's Starship Troopers satirized the novel upon which it is based. Photo by TriStar Pictures/Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images.

The announcement of Blomkamp's involvement 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 heavy inspiration from Verhoeven's Starship Troopers, featuring soldiers fighting alien bugs in a satirical fascist regime known as Super Earth, which champions Liberty and Managed Democracy.

With both projects in development, Sony faces the challenge of differentiating the new Starship Troopers film from the upcoming Helldivers movie. Despite the similarities, The Hollywood Reporter emphasizes that Blomkamp's project is not a remake but a new interpretation of Heinlein's novel.

Neither the new Starship Troopers nor the Helldivers film has a confirmed release date, suggesting fans may have to wait some time before seeing either project come to fruition. Blomkamp's most recent work was Sony's Gran Turismo, an adaptation of the renowned PlayStation driving simulation series.