The sci-fi creature fest Starship Troopers is getting a reboot, according to THR. Originally a book by Robert Heinlein, it was adapted in 1997 by Paul Verhoeven and starred Casper Van Dien, Denise Richards, Michael Ironside, and Dina Meyer.
The new version is being adapted by Damian Shannon and Mark Swift, the duo behind Freddy vs. Jason and the upcoming Baywatch film adaptation. Neal H. Moritz, the producer behind the Fast & Furious franchise, is producing with Toby Jaffe.
In the distant future, the Earth is at war with a race of giant alien insects. Little is known about the Bugs except that they are intent on the eradication of all human life. But there was a time before the war… A Mobile Infantry travels to distant alien planets to take the war to the Bugs. They are a ruthless enemy with only one mission: Survival of their species no matter what the cost…
Shannon and Swift are quick to let it be known that they are huge fans of the original and that they aren’t aiming to redo what was already done. Honestly, I can see that as the book was far more philosophical, in a weird way. The movie was pure action and spectacle with dashes of satire, so it’d be interesting to see what other directions the story can venture into.
Starship Troopers had a few sequels, neither of which were anything to write home about. The first, Hero of the Federation, came out in 2004 while the second, Marauder, came out in 2008. There is a fourth sequel, Invasion, which is a computer animated feature.
For the record, we think Verhoeven's version is amazing and we aren't trying to redo it. Will talk more about it soon, but we're excited! https://t.co/c0V1cMdfRH
— Shannon and Swift (@shannonandswift) November 3, 2016