Total Recall and Starship Troopers are two of the most iconic movies of the 1990s. That isn’t the only thing these two films have in common, though. They were both directed by Paul Verhoeven and they both feature very talented casts. Recently, however, people have started to speculate that these movies may be more connected than most people realized. Some have even come up with a theory that Total Recall was meant to be a precursor for Starship Troopers. Although no one who is directly involved in the films has chimed in on this idea, it’s certainly an interesting one to consider. Is Total Recall a prequel to Starship Troopers? Let’s talk about it.
The Connection Between Total Recall and Starship Troopers
You don’t have to be a diehard movie fan to know that films from the same director sometimes exist in the same universe. At the same time, though, this connection is often made clear. However, it looks like the tie between these two movies might be more on the subtle side.
According to a Reddit user name Sarlax, “The conditions and events of Total Recall give rise to the Federation and war with the arachnids in Starship Troopers.” The user went on to begin their argument by saying, “In Total Recall, humans have actively begun exploiting the solar system. They are mining Mars for a valuable mineral called turbinium, which has very high energy production capabilities. The alien device under the surface is described as “… one big reactor made out of turbinium.” A Martian worker said, “They just want our turbinium, so they can zap things from space.” Importantly, Cohagen says, “Mars was colonized by the Northern Block at enormous expense. Our entire war effort depends on the turbinium.” The Northern Block is apparently an increasingly powerful multinational alliance bent on controlling the Earth.”
Some people may think that Sarlax’s analysis is a bit of a reach, but other fans seemed to agree. After all, strange things have certainly happened, and the correlation can be found for anyone who is willing to look. Either way, Sarlax’s post definitely got people thinking. Another user, th3dud3abid3s, added, “It’s a pretty good theory, but only if you’re assuming that Total Recall even happened. There’s a possibility that the events in Total Recall were all in his head. What could help with that though, is that maybe the fantasy in Arnies head is based on literature in the past, meaning they’ve drawn from universes like Starship Troopers.”
Will We Ever Know the Truth?
As mentioned earlier, Paul Verhoeven nor anyone else who is associated with the movies has confirmed or denied whether Total Recall is actually a prequel to Starship Troopers. Since both movies have been out for more than 20 years, it seems a little unlikely that we’ll ever get to the bottom of this. Some might find this to be a little frustrating, but the truth is this is one of the most fun things about being a fan. After all, once an artist releases something into the world, it’s up to each person to interpret it however they wish. The fact that people are able to draw unintended parallels goes to show that everyone’s experience with a project is different.
If you haven’t seen either movie, you might want to chime in so that you can draw your own conclusion. At the end of the day though, even if Total Recall was never meant to be a prequel to Starship Troopers, the idea has given fans something to talk about and it has helped keep the movies’ legacies alive.
Will There Ever Be Another Starship Troopers or Total Recall Movie?
Paul Verhoeven is now in his 80s, but he is still working and he currently has a few projects in the works. Some fans have wondered if he will ever revisit Starship Troopers or Total Recall, and unfortunately, the answer is unclear. That said, it seems very unlikely.
Both movies have already had sequels, and none of them were directed by Verhoeven. At this point, the franchises have taken on legacies of their own. On top of that, it appears that Verhoeven has moved on as well. That said, there’s always a chance that a new director will step in and attempt to revive these titles again. There are still lots of directions that these stories can go in and it’ll be interesting to see what the future has in store. If either of these movies does get another installment, it’ll be interesting to see if there is ever an attempt to tie them together in some way.
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