Sony reveals surprising news:Helldivers 2 is getting a film adaptation!As part of its own CES 2025 press conference, the production company announced plans for a cinema debut.
The project is currently in its infancy and no details about the direction, cast or theatrical release are known yet. In fact, the popular shooter is already a homage to a popular sci-fi film from the 1990s:Starship Troopers.
First reactions to Sony's plans
In the comments, fans also remember the legendary classicStarship Troopers.Some insist that the film adaptationis not necessary due to the similarity.Nevertheless, there are also fans who are obviously happy. Here are a few examples from Platform X (formerly Twitter):
- »There are already Starship Troopers.« -User Xenny47
- »If they bring in Paul Verhoeven [director of Starship Troopers], then it will be pure cinema. Or they could just make a new Starship Troopers that perfectly captures the spirit of the original films.« - Userhalf full
- “So a sequel to Starship Troopers?” - Userasmolensky
- »It's like Starship Troopers all over again. And I'm not complaining!!!« - Userlucianosrebalo
- “So a Starship Troopers remake, renamed Helldivers????” - Usererrljonesii
The parallels to Starship Troopers
The cult classic was released in 1997 and directed by Paul Verhoeven.The now 86-year-old filmmaker is also known for other popular sci-fi projects such as RoboCop and Total Recall. However, with an estimated budget of $100 million, Starship Troopers only grossed over $121.2 million worldwide (viaBox Office Mojo) and only became a cult film in the following years.
The work is deeply satirical and criticizes US politics at the time. Many elements, such as the exaggerated interpretation of democracy or the apparent glorification of war, have now been adopted by the shooter.
An obvious reference to the cult classic can also be found in the enemies in Helldivers 2. In Starship Troopers the infantry fights against the so-called “bugs”. In Helldivers 2 the player also tries to put an end to oversized insects.
Helldivers 2 fans are well aware of the parallels to Starship Troopers. Shortly after its release in February, the video game helped the sci-fi work
By the way:A reboot of Starship Troopers was announced in 2016- but in the end it stayed with this announcement. Since then, things have become suspiciously quiet about the project. Maybe because even the director of the original, Paul Verhoeven, wasn't particularly enthusiastic about the idea at the time (viaSlashfilm).
By the way, Helldivers 2 isn't the only video game that Sony wants to film. Horizon Zero Dawn is also getting a cinematic debut, while Ghost of Tsushima is set to appear as an anime.
A live-action film adaptation of the popular Japanese action adventure has already been announced in 2021. Chad Stahelski, who is known for his involvement in the John Wick universe, is set to direct. However, we still don't know when and whether the project will appear.
