First things first: do we really need a new take on Starship Troopers? Paul Verhoevens 1997 adaptation of Robert Heinleins classic 1959 novel has become a classic in its own right, satirizing ideas about fascism and the military-industrial complex with a uniquely potent cheekiness. It also gave us Neil Patrick Harris as a psychic who talks to alien bugs, Denise Richards as a kick-ass starship pilot, and Michael Ironside as a grizzled yet fierce squad leaderplus squishy violence, weird sports, and quotable lines galore. With 1997s Starship Troopers creeping back into pop-culture consciousness last year thanks to Helldivers 2, it makes sense that Hollywood would want to capitalize with a new film version. As the Hollywood Reporter has revealed, Columbia has tapped Neill Blomkamp (District 9, Elysium, Chappie) to write and direct. Sci-fi is certainly an arena Blomkamp is well familiar with, though his last two features were outside the genre: 2021 horror film Demonic and 2023 sports drama Gran Turismo. But since his breakthrough with 2009s District 9, hes also been associated with a few high-profile projects that didnt end up getting off the ground, including entries in the Alien and RoboCop franchises. (RoboCop, which was also directed by Paul Verhoeven, is now slated to become a Prime Video streaming series.) However, the past is the past, and Blomkamp may yet find his next sci-fi success in the far-future setting of Starship Troopers. And it sounds like for all the fans of the 1997 movie, this new project will represent a fresh spin on Heinleins story; as THR notes, Blomkamps take is not a remake of the Verhoeven movie, and sources say the goal is to go back to the source material. What do you think about a new Starship Troopers? Add your own Would you like to know more? joke here, if you must. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, whats next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.