'District 9' director Neill Blomkamp enlists for new 'Starship Troopers' movie
Neill Blomkamp is doing his part.
The District 9 filmmaker is working on a new Starship Troopers movie for Sony's Columbia Pictures division, Entertainment Weekly has confirmed. The film will be a new adaptation of Robert A. Heinlein's 1959 novel rather than a direct remake of Paul Verhoeven's 1997 movie, which followed a group of young recruits who go to war against alien "bugs."
In addition to directing, Blomkamp is writing the screenplay and will produce alongside Terri Tatchell, his wife and frequent collaborator. The Hollywood Reporter first reported the news.
Blomkamp's previous films like District 9 and Elysium featured strong sociopolitical commentary channeled through a sci-fi lens, which makes the filmmaker an intriguing successor to Verhoeven, who put a satirical spin on Heinlein's material.
Related: Starship Troopers cast remembers the film's 'lousy reception' before becoming cult classic
However, it remains unclear exactly what Blomkamp's angle on Starship Troopers will be, because if he's not remaking or rebooting Verhoeven's work, and instead returning to Heinlein's original novel, that means the project might lack the ironic detachment of the 1997 movie. Heinlein's book has been the subject of some controversy, as its ardent militarism and unsympathetic rendering of alien antagonists have been widely described as fascist.
Verhoeven himself took major issue with Heinlein's viewpoint, and sought to make his adaptation a satire of the original book. "It is really quite a bad book," the Dutch filmmaker told Empire in 2020. "It's a very right-wing book. And with the movie we tried, and I think at least partially succeeded, in commenting on that at the same time. It would be eat your cake and have it. All the way through we were fighting with the fascism, the ultra-militarism. All the way through I wanted the audience to be asking, 'Are these people crazy?'"
Verhoeven's film didn't strongly connect with audiences upon its initial release, making $121 million at the global box office on a budget that exceeded $100 million. However, the movie has gained a cult following and spawned a number of sequel and spinoff projects, including the 2004 TV movie Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation, the 2008 direct-to-video sequel Starship Troopers 3: Marauder, and two direct-to-video anime sequels.
Related: Starship Troopers cast: Where are they now?
Word of the new film comes in the wake of the massive popularity of Helldivers 2, a 2024 video game that has drawn frequent comparisons to Starship Troopers due to its alien bug villains, satirical tone, and futuristic setting.
This isn't the first time Blomkamp has signed on for a Verhoeven-adjacent project. He was previously tapped to helm a RoboCop sequel in 2018, but departed the following year.
Related: Sigourney Weaver says the 'ship has sailed' on her playing Ripley in Alien sequel: 'I put in my time in space'
Blomkamp recently directed Gran Turismo, a racing drama based on the PlayStation video game franchise of the same name. He had previously attempted to helm an Alien sequel starring Sigourney Weaver that was ultimately shelved.
Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Tom's Guide
2 hours ago
- Tom's Guide
Nintendo Switch 2 review — no gimmicks here, just a fantastic hybrid console
In many ways, Nintendo Switch 2 is quite an un-Nintendo-like follow-up. The Japanese gaming titan is known for its left-field turns and big swings. Which other console maker goes from the record-selling motion-controlled Nintendo Wii to the tablet-based Nintendo Wii U? However, Nintendo's successor to the juggernaut Switch, a hybrid handheld and home console system, avoids the 'gimmicks' and instead opts for an iterative approach. Giving gamers more of the same, but with across-the-board upgrades. It's a very wise move. Nintendo Switch 2 feels like the ultimate version of the Switch concept, taking everything great about its predecessor and buffing it to a fine sheen. From the larger 7.9-inch 1080p 120Hz display, to the dramatically improved specs, which rival those found within the best handheld gaming consoles, such as Valve's Steam Deck OLED and the Asus ROG Ally X. And with its still innovative docking system, you can again switch between playing on your TV and gaming on the go in a matter of seconds with zero interruptions. Nintendo Switch 2 makes the original look like merely a proof of concept. It's the culmination of the Switch idea. The numerous upgrades don't come entirely without caveats. The impressively boosted performance levels come at the cost of battery life. Even if you're heading out with a full 100% charge, you'll want to keep a power supply to hand. Plus, Switch 2's larger size only further highlights issues with the console's flat design that lacks built-in ergonomic grips. Priced at $449, which places Switch 2 at parity with Sony's PS5 Slim, Nintendo's hardware is no longer the 'cheap option.' The hybrid is a more substantial investment and less attractive as a second console for those looking to play exclusive games like Mario, Zelda and Kirby. At the same time, Nintendo has managed to take (almost) everything that worked about the original Switch and improve upon it. Justifying the purchase price even at this early stage, and setting up Switch 2 for an exciting lifecycle ahead, even if the launch library is lacking. Dimensions 10.71 × 4.57 × 0.55 inches (w/ Joy-Con 2s attached) Weight 1.18 pounds Processor Custom Nvidia processor RAM 12 GB LPDDR5X Storage 25GB (UFS 3.1) Display 7.9-inch LCD, 1080p, HDR10, 120Hz refresh rate Ports 2 x USB-C, 1x 2.5mm audio jack, 1x microSD Express card reader slot, 1x Switch 2 Game Card slot Wireless connectivity Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth Battery life 2 – 6.5 hours (Nintendo provided figures) Price $449 USD If you've used the original Nintendo Switch at any point since its launch in spring 2017, then you'll have a good idea what to expect when it comes to Switch 2. But Nintendo hasn't skimped on the upgrades, it's better across the board. Before Switch 2's launch, there was much consternation within the Tom's Guide team about Nintendo's decision to revert to LCD following 2021's well-received Nintendo Switch OLED. However you slice it, it is a downgrade over its predecessors' mid-gen refresh (the base Switch stuck with LCD, as did the Nintendo Switch Lite). But Nintendo has done a pretty remarkable job not making it feel like a significant step back because the Switch 2's display is seriously pretty. Even just scrolling the UI on initial boot up had me oohing and ahhing. Measuring in at 7.9 inches, compared to 6.2 inches on Switch 1, it's not only larger but also offers a max 1080p resolution (select games can be played in 4K via the dock), which is a large leap from 720p on the original Switch. It also packs HDR and a 120 Hz refresh rate, allowing for up to 120 fps gaming in select software. Although I expect these will be rare. Now, I still wouldn't say no to a Nintendo Switch 2 OLED in the future, but the fact I've switched from a Steam Deck OLED to an LCD Switch 2 and haven't felt particularly shortchanged is a testament to just how excellent the console's bigger display looks. Nintendo consoles have historically been known for being less powerful than rivals like Xbox and PlayStation (even if Nintendo GameCube was more than a match for the PlayStation 2), but unlike its predecessor, Switch 2 doesn't feel like it's lagging behind right out of the box. Naturally, it can't outmuscle the PS5 Pro or even the base PS5, but it's quite a boon for Nintendo that the best on-the-go versions of blockbuster titles like Cyberpunk 2077 and Hogwarts Legacy are currently found on Switch 2. Oh, and I can't speak highly enough of finally getting Zelda: Breath of the Wild without fuzzy textures and an inconsistent framerate. Switch 1 felt like a console that was already somewhat dated from day one, whereas Switch 2 feels primed to compete in the graphics space right now. That is probably until Steam Deck 2 launches and blows it out of the water. But for now, Switch 2 is a portable powerhouse. Not to go all Jesse Pinkman from 'Breaking Bad,' but Nintendo Switch 2 has made me love magnets. On the surface, the Joy-Con 2 controllers don't look all that different from their predecessors, aside from being larger and slightly more curved, but the real upgrade comes in the way they effortlessly connect to the Switch 2 console. Gone is the finicky railing system of the Switch 1 in favor of powerful magnets that allow the Joy-Con 2 controllers to snap to the main unit with ease. The days of cumbersome attempts to align the plastic rails, or even worse, accidentally sliding the Joy-Con straps on the wrong way and finding them glued stuck, are mercifully gone. And I couldn't be more grateful. The Joy-Con 2 controllers also attach to the Switch 2 console with a delightful degree of sturdiness. The connection points feel solid, with only marginal give, another appreciated upgrade over its predecessor. I do have some slight concerns that the magnetism may degrade over time, but I'm informed that modern magnets take hundreds of years to lose their strength, so this might be a moot point. I know I opened this review by saying that Nintendo has eschewed its habit of strange gimmicks, but this is still the Big-N, so there had to be at least one novel new feature. With Switch 2, this comes in the form of the Joy-Con 2 Mouse Mode, which allows each controller to be used like a PC gaming mouse just by laying the Joy-Con 2 on a flat surface. Heck, you don't even need the 'flat' part; the feature works even when placed on your lap. The mouse tracking is surprisingly accurate, surface-dependent, of course. You can even use both controllers at once for a dual mouse setup. Plus, there's no setup required; just place your Joy-Con 2s down and the mode will activate. I'm not sure I would ever want to play an entire game using the control method over traditional joysticks, but it's still a pretty nifty inclusion, and I look forward to seeing how game developers utilize the option in the future. Anybody picking up a Switch 2 who owned a Switch 1 may notice a new button on the right Joy-Con 2 marked with a 'C'. This is the dedicated GameChat button, and serves as your instant portal to the Switch 2's new online communication functionality. GameChat is one of those 'does what it says on the tin' features. It allows you to chat with your friends and family while gaming on Switch 2. You can communicate via the console's built-in microphone (which offers background noise reduction tech), or, if you have the Nintendo Switch 2 Camera, you can even video broadcast yourself just like you're on Zoom. While PlayStation and Xbox have offered Party chat for multiple console generations at this point, for Nintendo, it's a huge step up from the antiquated app-based solution found on Switch 1. So, while it's hardly revolutionary, it's great to see Nintendo get with the times. You also have the option to share your screen, letting participants watch your live gameplay, but persistent lag makes this feature close to unusable. Plus, I have to wrinkle my nose at the fact that GameChat is locked behind a Nintendo Switch Online paywall. It'll be free for the console's first year, but after 12 months, you'll need to fork over for a $19 subscription. While there's much to love about Switch 2, all that extra performance power does come with a fairly significant drawback to battery life. Plus, dedicated handheld players might want to consider investing in a third-party grip case. When discussing gaming handhelds, the conversation will always broach the thorny issue of battery life before long. And this is one area where the Switch 2 sadly doesn't shine bright. During my testing for this review, I was able to get just shy of two-and-a-half hours of play from a 100% charge while running Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition with Wi-Fi switched on and display brightness set to the default 'Automatic Brightness' setting. This isn't a disastrous total, and would last you the length of a short-haul flight or a decently long train journey, but if you're away from a power outlet for a prolonged period of time, you're going to want to invest in a good power bank to make significant gaming progress. It also compared unfavourably to the Nintendo Switch OLED (which we benchmarked at around five hours) and the 2019 model of the Nintendo Switch, which lasted four hours and 40 minutes in our testing. Though it's roughly in line with competitors like the Steam Deck. If you plan to play Nintendo Switch 2 in handheld mode for a significant amount of time, you might want to invest in a third-party case with built-in grips because, without one, it's just not that comfortable to hold for hours at a time. If you prefer your Switch 2 to be naked, it's far from a fatal flaw, but my hands quickly found themselves missing the ergonomic design of my trusty Steam Deck OLED. Placing the Switch 2 in dbrand's Killswitch 2 case intently elevated my portable gaming experience. The original Switch has this problem too, but the increased size of the Switch 2, which naturally comes with increased weight, only exacerbates the issue. While my hands are far from shovel-sized, I really cannot imagine how a young child could hold one for very long. The overall slick aesthetics of the Switch 2 certainly trump the Steam Deck OLED or Asus ROG Ally X, with their protruding plastic shells being rather unsightly, not to mention giving them a larger overall profile. But sometimes you've got to prioritize function above all else. For years, I've been pining for a Nintendo Switch console which is the same but with more powerful components. And Nintendo has given me exactly that. Couple the increased under-the-hood improvements with smart upgrades like the magnetized Joy-Cons and the impressive larger display, and you've got the best version of an already excellent system. For the most part, the Nintendo Switch 2 is a thoroughly well-designed hybrid console that offers a fantastic play experience, whether tethered to your television or roaming just about anywhere. Though, don't expect to play on the go for too long due to the poor battery life. At present, the Switch 2's biggest weakness is its limited software library. There's only a pair of new first-party experiences, Mario Kart World and Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour, flanked by a lot of third-party ports of games you've (probably) already played elsewhere. But this is to be expected at launch, and over time, this 'issue' will naturally resolve itself. Even if the selection of games needs bulking out, Nintendo Switch 2 is a phenomenal console out of the box. It makes all the improvements I wanted, and even some upgrades I didn't know I needed. Nintendo struck gold with the initial Switch concept, and its numbered successor takes just about everything I loved about the original and makes it even better.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Katy Perry reacts as fan storms stage during concert: 'What the hell is going on?!'
A fan really didn't want to go-oh after storming the stage during a recent Katy Perry concert. When Perry was performing her hit song "Hot N Cold" at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia, on Monday night, a fan rushed onto the stage to dance next to her. The singer appeared visibly shocked in a fan video posted to social media as the man put his arm around her and began jumping up and down. After freezing for a second, Perry spun around to create distance from the man as she kept singing the lyrics to "Hot N Cold." The stage crasher then began to perform the floss dance move before security rushed onstage to escort him off. As the man resisted, Perry said into the microphone, "Well, there's never going to be another show like it, so just enjoy it, Sydney." She sang a few more lyrics before shouting into the mic, "What the hell is going on?!" This is just the latest concert mishap for the singer throughout her tour, after she nearly suffered a major wardrobe malfunction while performing at the Las Vegas stop when the clasp on her bejeweled brassiere appeared to break. "Oh s‑‑‑, my bra's gonna come off," Perry said to the crowd. Eventually, she called to an assistant in the wings named Patrick to "put my bra back on." Last month, Perry abruptly stopped performing midsong at her Houston stop to call out the haters on social media who had been making fun of the way she over-enunciated her words in her 2008 ballad "Thinking of You." As fans in the crowd sang the song's lyrics at her during a break, Perry looked directly at them captured in videos posted to TikTok. "I'm not going to do it," she said. But then she launched directly into the second verse of "Thinking of You," which recently went viral on TikTok as users filmed themselves lip-synching, "You're like an Indian summer in the middle of winter, like a hard candy with a surprise center," while making exaggerated, hilarious facial expressions. During the concert, Perry sang those exact lines, complete with exaggerated facial expressions of her own. But she cut it off after the words "candy with a" to declare to the crowd, "I don't sing like that."Perry is currently on the Australian leg of her Lifetimes World Tour, during which she has been performing the music from her seventh studio album, 143, since April. The tour will conclude Dec. 7 in the United Arab Emirates. Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Thunderbolts*' Wyatt Russell Mistaken For Lookalike in LA Protest Video
Wyatt Russell, son of actors Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn, was mistakenly identified in a viral video of an anti-ICE protests in LA. The clip captured a heated exchange during anti-ICE demonstrations and quickly drew attention across social media. It prompted widespread speculations about the identity of the man. A video from the recent anti-ICE protests in LA caused confusion online after viewers wrongly identified actor Wyatt Russell as the man confronting authorities in the clip. The clip, which shows a person delivering a passionate speech to armed authorities during the demonstrations, led many online to believe it was the Thunderbolts actor. However, Russell's representative confirmed to Entertainment Weekly that the person in the footage is not him and that they've been working to correct the confusion. The person seen in the video is actually Aaron Fisher, a partner at Statecraft Media, a digital media firm that supports progressive political campaigns. In the video, Fisher is seen confronting officers, accusing them of following unconstitutional orders. He warns them they are 'on the wrong side of history.' Fisher also added, 'We know you got a job to do, but you took an oath to the Constitution, not to the fascists in the White House.' Speaking about the mixup, Fisher said he found it 'pretty humorous' and was glad that the attention helped spread the message of the protest. He said, 'The deployment of the National Guard against the wishes of our Governor is dangerously un-American, and I will continue to peacefully protest in my community.' The protests started after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents conducted raids in Latino neighborhoods of Los Angeles, including a clothing warehouse downtown. Demonstrations reportedly escalated over the weekend and into Monday, especially after President Donald Trump deployed National Guard troops to the city. Originally reported by Disheeta Maheshwari on ComingSoon. The post Thunderbolts*' Wyatt Russell Mistaken For Lookalike in LA Protest Video appeared first on Mandatory.