Starship Troopers has now been in the world for twenty years. The film, which stars Casper Van Dien, Dina Meyer, Denise Richards and Neil Patrick Harris, is somewhat of a cult classic. Set in a future where mankind is at war with a race of giant bugs, and the only way to do pretty much anything is by becoming a citizen, it follows the tribulations of Johnny Rico (Van Dien), a young man who joins the Mobile Infantry. Ever wondered how the film was made? Who was first in line to play Johnny Rico? We have all this and more, just read below if you would like to know more. Check out our 15 Starship Troopers facts below.
Starship Troopers facts
1. Originally released in UK cinemas as a 15 certificate, the movie was upgraded to an 18 for the home entertainment release. The BBFC thought that upon further viewing, the film was far to violent and gory for anything less than an 18, and admitted they’d been too lenient the first time around.
Starship Troopers facts
2. He may have directed such films as Robocop, Total Recall, Basic Instinct, and most recently Elle, but Starship Troopers is actually Paul Verhoeven’s favourite movie that he has made.
3. Casper Van Dien is perfect in his role of Johnny Rico, but it could have been very different. Both James Marsden and Mark Wahlberg were considered before Van Dien bagged the part.
Starship Troopers facts
4. The film is based on a novel by science-fiction author Robert A. Heinlein which was first published in 1959. It’s considered a landmark in the genre and has been widely acknowledged as being one of the best known and most influential works of science fiction. Sadly, Heinlein passed in 1988 which means that he never got to see his world realised on screen.
5. Cast wise, Starship Troopers is basically comprised of ex-Beverley Hills 90210 and Total Recall actors. Casper Van Dien, Dina Meyer and Patrick Muldoon all in appeared in the original 90210. Michael Ironside, Marshall Bell and Dean Norris all appeared in the original Total Recall.
6. Before Paul Verhoeven came along, James Cameron was attached to direct.
Starship Troopers facts
7. Never one to back down on a dare, Verhoeven, along with cinematographer Jost Vacano, were nude for one take of the co-ed shower scene. They agreed after Dina Meyer dared them too.
8. We here at THN can’t help but think that Starship Troopers has one of the best unrequited love stories in film history (and even wrote about it here). Diz is madly in love with Rico, but he only has eyes for Carmen. The duo do get together just before Diz is tragically killed. Things would have been very different however, had they stuck to the novel, as Diz is a man and there’s no romantic feelings between the pair.
Starship Troopers facts
9. Due to many of the arachnids being created with CGI, Verhoeven had a novel way of getting his cast to visualise what was happening. He would walk around the set jumping and screaming to help elicit their reactions.
10. Who knew that Starship Troopers and Star Wars had a connection? If you keep your eyes peeled, you can spy a miniature Millennium Falcon on the backside of one of starship bridges.
11. The line ‘You wanna live forever?’ is uttered several times during Starship Troopers, but it isn’t the first time it’s been used in a Verhoeven film. The character Emil in Robocop also says those words.
Starship Troopers facts
12. He may only play it in a couple of scenes, but Jake Busey, who plays Ace, actually learned how to play the violin. The Buseys are all about the authenticity apparently.
13. Despite the film being based on a famous novel, Verhoeven admits that he never actually finished the book. He made it as far as the first few chapters and, after becoming bored and depressed, asked screenwriter Edward Neumeier to tell him the rest.
14. Verhoeven is clearly a keen recycler and hoarder. Why? Well some of the walls were reused from Total Recall.
15. Cast members Clancy Brown and Michael Ironside had both tried to kill the Highlander prior to exterminating bugs. Brown played Kurgen in Highlander, and Ironside played Kitana in Highlander II: The Quickening.
