Paul Verhoeven's 1997 sci-fi classic Starship Troopers is celebrating its 25th anniversary and with it comes a return to 4K Ultra HD. A new limited edition steelbook is coming to bring viewers back to the Fleet Battlestation Ticonderoga and the Arachnid-plagued planet of Klendathu in style. For any super fans of the film, this home release will have everything including a new never-before-seen reunion with the cast and crew for the special occasion. This package will release on November 1.
Based on the acclaimed 1959 novel by Robert A. Heinlein, Starship Troopers takes place amidst a militaristic future for humanity rife with political satire about the horrors of war and fascism. It centers on the journey of Johnny Rico (Casper Van Dien) who initially joins the military to be close to his girlfriend Carmen Ibanez (Denise Richards) and goes from infantry screw-up to war hero amidst the backdrop of the humans' war with the Arachnids.
In the critics' eyes, the film was a flop on release, though audiences quickly came around to its charming characters and writing, making it one of the most beloved films of the 1990s. It also featured an extremely talented cast with Van Dien and Richards joined by Dina Meyer, Clancy Brown, Michael Ironside, Neil Patrick Harris, Jake Busey, Patrick Muldoon, and Seth Gilliam. At the time, the special effects were also considered some of the best in all of film with a team featuring effects guru Phil Tippett among others. The work was nearly good enough to land the film an Oscar, though it lost out to Titanic.
Verhoeven directed Starship Troopers from a screenplay written by Ed Neumeier. It was the second film the pair had done together following their work on the iconic RoboCop. Neumeier also leads the discussion for the 25th-anniversary virtual reunion included in the steelbook. He's joined by most of the cast, including Van Dien, Richards, Meyer, Brown, Ironside, Busey, Muldoon, and Gilliam. The reunion can only be found on the 4K disc, though it's certainly not the only special feature included with a multitude of featurettes, deleted scenes, and commentaries also in the release.
This Starship Troopers 4K Ultra HD steelbook will be available for purchase on November 1. Check out the full list of special features and the steelbook box art below. You can also watch the trailer for the film!
4K ULTRA HD/BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES
- Director and Cast Commentary
- Commentary with Paul Verhoeven and Ed Neumeier
- FedNet Mode Picture-in-Picture
- “Death From Above” Documentary
- “Know Your Foe” Bug Featurettes
- “The Spaceships from Starship Troopers” Featurette
- “FX Comparisons” Featurettes
- Storyboard Comparisons
- The Making of Starship Troopers
- Deleted Scenes
- Screen Tests
- Scene Deconstructions
Here's the official synopsis:
From the bridge of the Fleet Battlestation Ticonderoga, with its sweeping galactic views, to the desolate terrain of planet Klendathu, teeming with shrieking, fire-spitting, brain-sucking special effects creatures, acclaimed director PAUL VERHOEVEN crafts a dazzling epic based on Robert A. Heinlein's classic sci-fi adventure. CASPER VAN DIEN, DINA MEYER, DENISE RICHARDS, JAKE BUSEY, NEIL PATRICK HARRIS, PATRICK MULDOON, and MICHAEL IRONSIDE star as the courageous soldiers who travel to the distant and desolate Klendathu system for the ultimate showdown between the species.