Last we heard from Max Landis, he was canceled from the industry in 2016 after reports came out that he had emotionally and sexually abused nine women. Since then, he’s had no work in the industry.
That has changed. A comeback is brewing. Paramount has tapped Landis to work on the next G.I. Joe movie. No other details were given, but THR is reporting it — so this is very real. Additionally, Danny McBride has been tasked with writing an entirely separate G.I. Joe film for Paramount, but it’s obviously Landis’ project that will make headlines.
The hiring of Landis continues a trend over at Skydance-run Paramount, which has had them step in and hire artists who were once deemed canceled, or controversial, in other parts of Hollywood: Brett Ratner, Johnny Depp, John Lasseter and now, Landis.
Landis first garnered attention as the screenwriter of Josh Trank’s 2012 superhero film “Chronicle.” It helped launch the careers of stars Michael B. Jordan and Dane DeHaan. His other credits include “American Ultra” and “Bright.”
Landis’ last credit was on 2020’s “Shadow in the Cloud” — his original script, written before the #MeToo controversy, was rewritten by Roseanne Liang, but he still managed to get a co‑writing credit on the film.
After his Hollywood career stalled, Landis began posting creative pitches and “pitches‑turned‑content” on YouTube and other platforms, where he showcased his ideas. None of those materialized into a studio greenlight, but he hasn’t stopped writing these last ten years.
Turns out, Paramount has come to the rescue, and Landis may have been given a lifeline by David Ellison.