Star of One of the Best Sci-Fi Action Satires Wants To Revive It as a Streaming Series

Starship Troopers is the perfect definition of an originally misunderstood cult classic that has gone on to build a dedicated fanbase since its release in 1997. Now actor Casper Van Dien, who played Johnny Rico in the movie, is desperate to see the franchise get a revival as a streaming TV series. Van Dien recently shared his enthusiasm for returning to the action franchise, suggesting, not for the first time, that it holds untapped potential for further exploration that would be perfect for a long-form series.

In an interview with ComicBook.com, Van Dien explained that he believes that a modern series could explore the universe in ways that the original film couldn’t due to its format. After noting that there is a lot of commentary in the movie that is still very relevant today, he said:

“I’ve been putting it out on my streams…to get Sony’s attention and make the
Starship Troopers
movie or TV series [reboot]. I think it would be great for a series…The visual effects today would be a huge win for Sony if they could make a series out of this. Why wouldn’t you make this? It’d be great.”

There are many routes that a new series could go down, whether that is expand on humanity’s war with the beastly Arachnids, the Federation’s political structures, or even reimagine the central conflict of the movie with a different perspective. The themes of propaganda and societal control would, as Van Dien alluded to, be just as relevant now, if not more so, than when the movie was released almost 30 years ago.

Starship Troopers Grew to be a Cult Classic

Paul Verhoeven’s movie initially received mixed reactions from critics and audiences, with the film being misunderstood by some who did not catch on to the satirical commentary. However, it is one of those movies that has been vastly reassessed over time to become one of the best examples of a sci-fi movie that manages to perfectly capture the propaganda of the real world.

The groundbreaking special effects and brutal battle scenes delivered plenty to be enjoyed by those who don’t get the deeper meaning of it all, and that makes it even more surprising how poorly the movie performed on its release. Despite having a decent 72% approval rate from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, the film earned just £121 million on the back of its $100 million budget. However, the home release of the movie became a pivotal part of its later success, allowing audiences to rediscover the film at their leisure.

The cult following of Starship Troopers was enough to see the release of two sequels; 2004’s Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation, and Starship Troopers 3: Marauder in 2008. As you would expect, those straight-to-DVD offerings were not on par with the original movie, and other than two animated releases in the 2010s, the franchise has remained dormant. While there are no confirmed plans for a revival, Van Dien’s enthusiasm could certainly spark something among the many streaming platforms looking to new content with a nostalgic edge. For now, fans can find the original Starship Troopers streaming for free on Pluto TV until the end of the month.

Release Date

November 7, 1997

Runtime

2hr 9min

Studio

TriStar Pictures, Touchstone Pictures, Big Bug Pictures

Tagline

Genocide doesn’t compare to this.

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