Starship Troopers is getting a new film adaptation directed by Neill Blomkamp.

      After his intended direct sequel to RoboCop stalled in development, director Neill Blomkamp has shifted his focus to another film by Paul Verhoeven for his upcoming project. The Hollywood Reporter has announced that the filmmaker behind District 9 is working on a fresh adaptation of Starship Troopers for Columbia Pictures.

      Instead of remaking or continuing Verhoeven’s 1997 film, this new version—written by Blomkamp along with his wife and co-writer of District 9 and Chappie, Terri Tatchell—is said to draw inspiration from the original source material, Robert A. Heinlein's Hugo Award-winning 1959 novel.

      Set in a future militaristic society governed by the Terran Federation, Starship Troopers chronicles the journey of Johnny Rico as he rises through the ranks of the Mobile Infantry from recruit to officer amidst an interstellar war against a bug-like alien species.

      Released with Casper Van Dien playing Johnny Rico alongside co-stars Dina Meyer, Denise Richards, Jake Busey, Neil Patrick Harris, and Michael Ironside, Starship Troopers was initially met with criticism and underperformed at the box office. However, it later gained a cult following and launched a franchise that now includes two low-budget direct-to-video sequels, two CG-animated movies, and the popular animated series Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles.

      About Gary Collinson: Gary Collinson is a producer and writer of film, TV, and digital content. He is the founder of the pop culture site Flickering Myth and has produced the gothic horror feature film 'The Baby in the Basket' as well as the forthcoming thriller 'Death Among the Pines'. He previously dedicated a decade to teaching film and media and is also the author of the non-fiction book 'Holy Franchise, Batman! Bringing the Caped Crusader to the Screen'.