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'Total Recall' Remake Producer Planning 'Starship Troopers' Reboot

by Ethan Anderton
December 2, 2011
Source: Vulture

With remakes of Total Recall and RoboCop already in the works, it seems like director Paul Verhoeven's filmography is the place to look for remake material recently. While there are fans who are against the aforementioned remakes of the sci-fi action flicks from late 80's/early 90's, today's technology does allow for a far less dated retelling. Now a more recent sci-fi film from Verhoeven is getting the remake treatment too as Vulture has learned that super producer Neal Moritz, the man behind Green Hornet, Fast Five, Battle: Los Angeles and more is looking to remake Starship Troopers. Would you like to know more?

The 1997 sci-fi film followed a group of high school gradautes as they worked their way through the ranks of the Federation as they scour the galaxy fighting a force of deadly insects. X-Men: First Class and Thor screenwriters Ashley Edward and Zack Stentz will script the remake, though it's not clear how the film will adapt the Robert A. Heinlein novel this time around. Verhoeven's film was a self-aware, satirical action film complete with propaganda commercials, but I feel like a remake will just go for the hardcore action alone. Honestly, I'd like to see Casper Van Dien and Neil Patrick Harris return for some cameos , but if this is a true reboot, then it will likely disregard the first film and any of the straight-to-DVD sequels. Interested?

Filed under Development, Movie News

From around the web:

Chris Amaya

No...enough with the reboots!
- TomD
  
  This reboot is going to be hard. I saw Starship Troopers on TV the other day. 1. It's not as dated as Total Recall is. 2. The visual fx in it are photo real. Hince better than any of the CG on the Syfy network and in a lot of big movies today. 3. Paul Verhoveen can film an action scene at the James Cameron level. Most Directors can't do that.
  - Chad
    
    ^ Nailed it. I hope its more like the cgi tv show, That would be tight.
Big Boss

As an aspiring screenwriter, It really makes me warm inside to see Hollywood struggle with originality. They keep sticking to an old, defunct formula that never benefits them in the long run. It's SO ironic that they are afraid to welcome new, innovative projects when they are remaking the very movies that were once new, original projects themselves. Shame.
- http://twitter.com/AgentKidSociety Agent Kid Society
  
  100% perfect comment!
http://www.firstshowing.net Alex Billington

Nooooo!!! Starship Troopers is one of my ALL-TIME faves! I was fine with Total Recall even though it'll turn out only half as good... but this?! THIS?! What can they EVEN do to improve upon it, at all? It's going to be cheesy, Hollywood, CGI crapfest, ugh, they've crossed the line with this one!
- ur_baby's_daddy
  
  agreed, its not academy award material, and it was not meant to be. It was a upgraded B movie that was on point.
- Anonymous
  
  BIG agree alex - there is NO way they'll be able to recapture the magic of the 1st film.......the action was so intense!
  - Anonymous
    
    Yep...let's face it Beevis, PV certainly knows how to film visceral, heart-pounding action. And no Michael Ironside either!!
- Anonymous
  
  It's one of my all-time faves, Alex. I loved the movie when I saw it in the theater back in 1997, and I still love it now when I catch it on cable. However...and while I understand you being upset (and I am too), step back a moment and take a look. 1) Verhoven's ST was clobbered by the critics--Ebert's review literally bent the film over the rails and gave it the business. Let's not toss this down the memory hole. In fact, your statement of "cheesy, Hollywood, CGI crapfest" is what was hurled at the film by critics and by fans of the classic Heinlein novel. 2) There were more fans of Heinlein's novel who outright HATED the film. Many of them still do, even all these years later. They are extremely po'd that anyone dared to satirize "their" novel, and many still bitch about "Man, they should've put in the powered suits!" Well, if you've ever read THE MAKING OF STARSHIP TROOPERS, they tried. Boy, did they try back then. They simply weren't able to do it. 3) It's entirely possible that Sony considers ST a financial failure, much like Universal most likely considered John Carpenter's remake of THE THING from '82 a financial failure. 4) I guarantee you'll hear more voices of "Finally! They'll do the Powered Suits!!" and even more voices of "What's STARSHIP TROOPERS?" over our objections. Me, I'm miffed, but hey, it isn't as if the Verhoven classic (and it is, in my opinion) is going to go "poof!" and vanish. It'll still be there. One more thing...if you can track it down online, check out the six part STARSHIP TROOPERS anime from 1988. Ironically, the Japanese adapted the book way before Verhoven, most likely because the book had a strong influence on anime from around 1978 through the mid-1980s, and even through today. "ugh, they've crossed the line with this one!" Ah, Alex, Hollywood has crossed said lines many times. This is only the latest. Cheers.
Anonymous

I hope it's not a reboot faithful to the source material cause the book was boring as fuck.
- Anonymous
  
  wmdimes, you might be surprised that a lot of fans of the book outright HATED Verhoeven's film, even though it is relatively faithful to the book.
  - Anonymous
    
    I am not surprised at all. The movie was nothing like the book. That's exactly what I was saying. The movie was a gory, pulpy, sci-fi action madnesspiece, and the book was pretty much a field manual for a shitty future that nobody wants to read.
    - Anonymous
      
      Well, people did read it....8-) But I do get your point. Ever since it was published in 1959, the book has always engendered controversy, with some feeling that it supports outright facism, others saying that it's just a science fiction adventure, and some who have had your assessment.
happy camper

Dude! its a total cult classic! how could you even improve it? you cant remake camp, it cannot work. and those writers credits are all horrible films... such a waste of money.
- Booooooooooooooo
  
  first class and thor = horrible films?? your credibility shot out the door
  - happy camper
    
    oops i ment producer, but first class and thor are far from great, id never watch them again.
Una

It's ripe for a remake. Shia LaBeouf, Zac Efron, Chace Crawford or James Lafferty as Johnny Rico
- http://www.facebook.com/people/Luis-M-Milan-Leal/769985256 Luis M Milan Leal
  
  Because no one looks more Filipino than Shia LaBeouf...
  - http://www.firstshowing.net Alex Billington
    
    Filipino? I thought Johnny Rico was from Buenos Aires (he is in the movie)... Then again, Casper Van Dien doesn't/didn't look Filipino or Argentinean, or anything but American, when I first saw this. I'm sure they'll cast a range of racially diverse actors, like Moritz always does...
    - Anonymous
      
      Actually Alex, in the original novel, you do not find out that Johnny is Filipino....until the end of the novel. And Verhoeven and company tried to find someone close to that, but couldn't do it. He does live in Buenos Aires (in the book) but his ethnicity is Filipino. I hope this helps.
      - Glossgreen
        
        No, he doesn't ever live in Buenos Aires in the book. His mother visits a relative there and gets killed during the attack. He father doesn't go and lives.
      - http://www.firstshowing.net Alex Billington
        
        Well it just sounds like everyone wants this to be an exact adaptation of the book. I'm sure they'll probably adjust things...
    - Shige
      
      How should Argentinians look like ? There are many blond and blue-eyed Argentinians and Brazilians. Not all of them are Hispanic you know.
- grimjob
  
  Zac Efron? This remake is a bad idea already, now you're just making it laughable.
grimjob

Ethan, I have to disagree with you on the point you made about RoboCop and Total Recall being dated. I love these films, and their effects still hold up to today's movies. I've always preferred practical effects to CGI, and those two are among the best. The effects of Starship Troopers, both practical and CGI, also still look great. These remakes are going to suffer greatly without the sharp satirical wit of Verhoeven, and just should not be made. Just my opinion. Although I am 100% correct.
- Anonymous
  
  i couldn't agree more. ST, RC, and TR are classics that do NOT need reboots. i have all on disc and they hold up well.
  - Anonymous
    
    ROBOCOP still puts a smile on my face even after all these years. It was probably the first film which made me wonder, "Why am I laughing at people getting killed?" As a satire of the 1980s, it certainly stands shoulder to shoulder with that other 1980s satire, THE BONFIRE OF THE VANITIES (I mean the original novel, not the film).
Neuromancer

It's afraid... It's afraid!!! .... of reboots !
lonestar1179

worst idea yet.
GlossGreen

I do like the movie, but as a big fan of the book, I'd like to see something a little more related to the source material. The book and the movie are two completely different animals.
- Anonymous
  
  And a lot of fans of the book HATED the movie outright. We can't forget that.
  - GlossGreen
    
    It's like what happened when Dune was made into a movie. Neither book was translated to the screen in any form similar to the source. Vast liberties were taken with each, but each also produced an interesting and entertaining result. Dune eventually got a more faithful showing as a mini-series, now it's Starship Troopers' turn. I'm curious to see which this reboot will be based on-the book or the original movie.
    - Anonymous
      
      Agreed.
    - rennmaxbeta
      
      A director once said that the book material when translated to film has to leave the page and take a form of its own. Books are rarely if ever converted word for word into a movie.
TumM

What with the reboot!!!Just move on and find another idea !!!!- -"
Frivolous intent

But the book was written for uber-nationalist fucks... why make their version of the story. Thats the last thing we need in this world. More right wing propaganda for the kids...
MikeC

Interesting how polarized the views are here.. I would like to see a halfway between original movie and the book. I would like to see troopers in powered armor being launched in their individual pods into planet atmosphere and then using their thruster packs to jump across a planet surface while fighting aliens. Note that in the books the aliens were not just dumb insects but also had beam weapons. I also see a lot of talk about fascist tones etc - but the interesting thing is that the novel is on the reading list for US military and it deals with the idea of a completely volunteer based military.... kinda like US army today. So yes please - reboot with full on power army, intelligent arachnids with blasters and starships and an intelligent plot
Salber on Cinema

in the words of John J. Rambo..."Do we get to win this time?"
LotusDarkrose

So unnecessary and stupid...all of these reboots. Conan the Barbarian, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Alice in Wonderland, The Thing, Nightmare on Elmstreet, etc. etc....and now Total Recall and Starship Troopers. They never compare to the originals, which are usually monumental films meant to rewatch over the years and hold sacred for what they are, brilliant pieces of film. Maybe in 20 years they'll do an Avatar remake...so pathetic.