Ten years after the release of the science fiction classic
STARSHIP TROOPERS, writer Ed Nuemeier has returned to battle for STARSHIP TROOPERS: MARAUDER. The origin of
this popular franchise goes back to a small science fiction pulp magazine from
1959. The magazine of Fantasy and Science fiction had first serialized Robert
Heinlein’s story as “Starship Soldier” before it was published as a
novelization in 1959. The story concerns an interplanetary war between the
earth-based federation and the arachnid aliens of Klenadthu and follows the
exploits of Johnnie Rico, a young enlisted soldier through his paces in basic
training and his personal experiences in off world combat.
1n 1997, Director Paul Verheoven and screenwriter Neumeier,
the creative team behind Robocop,
brought Heinlein’s popular book to the theatres. Considered one of the most
costly and elaborate films of the last two decades, the film eventually became
an international blockbuster, creating a huge cult following and ultimately
initiating a successful direct to DVD sequel. Neumeier was approached by Los
Angeles production company BOLD[C1]
films to continue the popular series while providing him the opportunity to
direct for the first time. STARSHIP
TROOPERS: MARAUDER picks up several years after the events of the first film,
following the lives of Johnny Rico (Casper Van Dien returning to the role) and
his new cohorts including Dix Hauser (Boris Kodjoe) and an old flame Lola Beck
(played by Star Trek Enterprise’s Jolene Blalack). Rico is now stationed on the
remote base on Roku-san. After a massacre on the military base, Rico is
court-martialed but secretly conscripted to be the leader of the elite Marauder
units that will be used by the federation to battle the arachnids. After the
assault on Roku-san, Beck escorts the Federation Sky Marshall Anoke (Played by
British actor Stephen Hogan) off the planet, but en route to earth their ship
is hit by bug plasma and crash lands on OM-1 where the deadliest of arachnids
await them.
For the visual effects,
Neumeier and Bold films turned to Robert and Dennis Skotak who are best known
as the supervisors on the James Cameron classic ALIENS, a film that many fans
feel has a strong connection to the Starship Troopers universe. “We got a call
from Paul Salamoff, at the time one of the producers at Bold Films, at the
suggestion of Alec Gilis and Tom Woodruff of Amalgamated Dynamics,” remembers
Robert Skotak, “They had been involved in the first film, of course, and were
having discussions about this new one. We read the script, found it smart, fun
and full of challenges, and we became very interested in working on it, if
possible. We then met everyone at Bold--David Lancaster and, of course, Ed
Neumeier. They just all seemed to be a great group of people. I think we all
felt enthusiastic about the project and each other right from the start, so it
went from there.”
This is a well-written piece Cool, but I would rework its structure.
ReplyDeleteTen years after the release of the science fiction classic STARSHIP TROOPERS, writer Ed Nuemeier has returned to battle for STARSHIP TROOPERS: MARAUDER.
That opening makes me think the focus of the story is Ed Nuemeier, when the article is really a summary of the whole franchise. The sentences about the Heinlein serialization work better as the lead for a summation.
If you want to focus on the second film or Ed, then I would note Verhoeven’s original briefly in the open and go further into the film and story’s history later on.
You also misspelled Verhoeven. I had to go check, of course, but we should always double-check these things. When you have such a clear passion for a subject, you want to deliver it as clearly and confidently as possible.
Welcome to class.