Columbia Pictures has enlisted District 9 director Neill Blomkamp to create and oversee a unique adaptation of Starship Troopers, according to THR. As per the media outlet, Blomkamp’s new Starship Troopers will entirely disregard Paul Verhoeven’s 1997 film and its later direct-to-video sequels, instead choosing to return to the original source material of Robert A. Heinlein’s 1959 science fiction novel.
This is an intriguing choice, though not necessarily a favorable one, as Verhoeven’s film is widely recognized for its satirical take on the book, subverting its overtly fascist themes to criticize them. Whether Blomkamp can develop his own distinctive approach to the source material remains to be seen; however, it is likely that the director can leave his artistic mark on the story at the very least.
For those familiar with the novel or who have seen the 1997 film, Starship Troopers narrates the tale of Earth engaging in combat against a galaxy-spanning race of insect-like creatures. The original 1959 novel sparked controversy during its time due to its militaristic themes promoting the idea of justified military force, its representation of gender, and even its use of fictitious terminology akin to slurs employed to describe Earth’s adversaries.
Verhoeven’s 1997 film carefully deconstructs these themes with a satirical perspective, providing less of a direct adaptation of the novella.