Get ready to do your part, because the bugs are about to be in the crosshairs once again. Sony and Columbia Pictures are currently developing a new adaptation of the classic sci-fi film Starship Troopers, according to The Hollywood Reporter, with District 9 director Neill Blomkamp set to helm the film. However, this project will not be based on the iconic, campy film from 1997, but rather from the original source material: the 1959 book by Robert A. Heinlein.

Plot details on the upcoming film are fairly slim. However, THR has reported that the film will not be a remake of the 1997 film, which was directed by Paul Verhoeven and depicted a high-strung military force fighting an interstellar species called Arachnids. The film remains a sci-fi classic and was notable for its highlighting of armed forces propaganda and facist undertones. But Blomkamp‘s film will be based on the original book, which, like the film, chronicled the life of Arachnid-fighter Johnny Rico, but depicted the military in a more democratic way.

Blomkamp, also known for action films like Gran Turismo and other sci-fi projects like Elysium and Chappie, will direct Starship Troopers from a screenplay he’ll write himself. He is also producing the project alongside his wife Terri Tatchell, who also co-wrote Chappie and District 9. No casting has been announced.

‘Starship Troopers’ Launched a Film Franchise

While the 1997 film has been lauded and made fun of, it has remained in sci-fi lexicon since its release and spawned a franchise of new films. This includes two direct sequels to Verhoeven‘s film as well as a pair of animated Japanese films, with the most recent being released in 2017. An animated series was also developed in the late 1990s. The first sequel was even directed by legendary Hollywood visual effects supervisor Phil Tippett.

Even though filming details are unknown, the project is likely in good hands with Blomkamp, who has established himself as an expert of sci-fi filmmaking. The South Africa native made his feature film debut with District 9 in 2009 — which ironically also featured a clash between humans and a race of insect-like aliens. Rumors of a sequel have swirled for years, but nothing has been set in stone. Both District 9 and Elysium take place in the director’s birth city of Johannesburg, but it seems that Starship Troopers will be taking him to the stars.

Stay tuned to Collider for more information on the remake. The 1997 film is available to rent or buy on VOD.

via Collider