Max Landis’ ‘G.I. Joe’ Script Not Moving Forward at Paramount

A few weeks ago, we learned that Max Landis had been hired by Paramount to write a G.I. Joe movie. This marked Landis’ first major studio job since 2016, when reports surfaced alleging that he had emotionally and sexually abused nine women.

Now, multiple sources have told Variety that Paramount is not moving forward with Landis’ take on a new G.I. Joe movie due to “creative differences.” The studio is continuing discussions with other writers and is waiting on script submissions from several of them, including Danny McBride.

Landis told Variety he was “tremendously grateful to have been given the opportunity.” He explained that his pitch came together “very serendipitously,” driven by what he described as the appeal of a strange and subversive concept. In his version, the franchise’s villain Cobra had already succeeded in conquering the world, leaving G.I. Joe dismissed as nothing more than a conspiracy theory. He added that he was “surprised [his hiring] was reported at all.”

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.