A new adaptation of “Starship Troopers” is coming soon from “District 9” filmmaker Neill Blomkamp but he won’t be remaking the film but rather the original book…
The only good bug is a dead bug!
That’s right — a new “Starship Troopers” adaptation is on the way from “District 9” filmmaker Neil Blomkamp but don’t expect the same kind of campiness, over-the-to-action, sarcasm and fun that turned Paul Verhoeven’s 1997 film into a cult classic.
Instead, Blomkamp is reportedly planning to adapt a more strict adaptation of the original book from author Robert A. Heinlein that was first released all the way back in 1959.
The plot between the book and the original film are essentially the same — Earth is drawn into an intergalactic war with bug like creatures from another world with story focused on a young recruit into the mobile infantry named Johnny Rico. In the original book, however, the themes dealt with the exploration of life under military rule and the need to perform government service to even obtain voting rights.
There has been plenty of praise and criticism of Heinlein’s book over the years with many calling it more of philosophical exploration of ideas than your typical science-fiction action story. Heinlein has also been accused of fetishizing the military throughout the book and that a society run by the military is not only necessary but inevitable. Some of the strongest opinions believe that Heinlein was actually promoting fascism within the book’s pages. Then again, other critics have stated that Heinlein’s book was written almost as a cautionary tale to those same initiatives.
Whatever the case, Blomkamp is reportedly looking to stick closer to Heinlein’s original book than the version that Verhoeven adapted with his 1997 film, which featured many of the same themes but it was done as a satire to some of the most controversial takes in the novel.
While 1997’s “Starship Troopers” didn’t do well at the box office, the film has since become a very popular cult classic among fans and considered a sci-fi masterpiece in many circles.
It remains to be seen exactly what Blomkamp will come up with after his past work in films such as “District 9” and “Chappie” as well as his most recent release “Gran Turismo.” He’s producing the film alongside his wife and partner Terri Tatchell.
H/T: Hollywood Reporter
