It appears that Hollywood is currently making its way through Paul Verhoeven’s back catalogue and remaking all his best movies. A new take on Total Recall is already in the can, a Robocop remake has long been in development and now it appears they’re thinking about making a new version of Straship Troopers.
Vulture first reported the news, saying that Fast & Furious producer Neil Moritz is the man with the plan, and that he’s hired Thor and X-Men First Class screenwriters Ashley Edward Miller and Zack Stentz to pen the script. It appears Moritz wants to go back to Robert A. Henlein’s book, rather than directly remaking Verhoeven’s film.
That may worry some, as Henlein’s writing is insanely right wing (in a way that most right wing person today would distance themselves from). Indeed Verhoeven’s movie was a rather satirical swipe at the sort of militaristic, bombastic thinking typified by Henlein and his ilk. However the original tale is rather cold and calculated, and a lot less OTT than Verhoeven’s film. An important aspect of the book is the use of power armour, which had to be chopped out of the movie because of costs, but could come back in with a new version.
To be honest, it would be better for Verhoeven’s smart and funny movie to get the dues it’s rather lacked.