Sony is reportedly developing a new reboot of the Starship Troopers franchise. According to The Hollywood Reporter, acclaimed director Neill Blomkamp, known for his work on District 9, Elysium, and Chappie, will helm the project, serving both as writer and director. This news has been corroborated by Deadline and Variety.

This new film will be a fresh adaptation of Robert A. Heinlein's 1959 military sci-fi novel, Starship Troopers, and will not be connected to Paul Verhoeven's 1997 cult classic, which famously satirized the source material. Instead, the movie will come directly from Sony's Columbia Pictures and aim to bring a new perspective to Heinlein's work.

Interestingly, Sony's decision to involve Blomkamp in this project raises questions, especially since the company recently announced a live-action adaptation of the popular PlayStation game Helldivers. This game, developed by Arrowhead, draws significant inspiration from Verhoeven’s Starship Troopers, featuring soldiers defending a satirical fascist regime known as Super Earth from alien bugs and other enemies, all while promoting the concepts of Liberty and Managed Democracy.

The simultaneous development of both Starship Troopers and Helldivers movies by Sony could lead to an intriguing competition at the box office. However, The Hollywood Reporter clarifies that Blomkamp's take will be distinct, focusing more on the original tone and themes of Heinlein's novel, which some interpret as endorsing the very ideals that Verhoeven’s film satirized.

Currently, neither the new Starship Troopers nor the Helldivers movie has an announced release date, suggesting that fans might have to wait a while to see these projects come to fruition. Blomkamp's most recent work was with Sony on Gran Turismo, an adaptation of the popular PlayStation racing simulation series.