Sony Reboots Starship Troopers After Helldivers Movie Announcement

Sony is reportedly developing a new Starship Troopers movie reboot, with Neill Blomkamp, known for directing films like District 9, Elysium, and Chappie, set to write and direct. This project, confirmed by The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline, and Variety, is a fresh adaptation of Robert A. Heinlein's 1959 military sci-fi novel, produced by Sony's Columbia Pictures. It is distinct from Paul Verhoeven's 1997 cult classic, which satirized Heinlein's original work.

The announcement of Blomkamp's involvement comes at an interesting time, as Sony recently revealed plans for a live-action adaptation of the PlayStation Studios game Helldivers, developed by Arrowhead. Helldivers, inspired by Verhoeven's Starship Troopers, features soldiers fighting for a satirical fascist regime called Super Earth against alien bugs and other threats, all while promoting ideals of Liberty and Managed Democracy.

Sony now finds itself in the unique position of potentially having two films—Starship Troopers and Helldivers—competing in the same thematic space. However, The Hollywood Reporter emphasizes that Blomkamp's Starship Troopers is not a remake of Verhoeven's film but a return to Heinlein's source material, which differs significantly in tone and message from the 1997 movie.

As of now, neither the new Starship Troopers nor the Helldivers movie has a set release date, suggesting that fans may have to wait a while to see these projects come to fruition. Blomkamp's most recent work was directing Sony's Gran Turismo, an adaptation of the popular PlayStation driving simulation series.