Danny McBride is the man Paramount has entrusted with the responsibility of rebooting the G.I. Joe franchise.
No, really—McBride, known for his roles in “The Righteous Gemstones” and “Eastbound & Down,” revealed on the Happy Sad Confused podcast that he has written a script for an all-new “G.I. Joe” movie, and it could begin filming soon.
“I’ve written one, yes. I’m stoked about it. I’m really fired up about the script,” McBride confirmed to host Josh Horowitz. “Paramount seems fired up about it, so hopefully we’re shooting it next year.” The project would be the first film in the franchise since 2021’s “Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins,” starring Henry Golding, and is intended as a full reboot.
McBride also said he was inspired by “the cartoons and the comics,” adding that “G.I. Joe” was his childhood obsession: “G.I. Joe was my thing when I was a kid. I liked that more than “Star Wars,” more than anything. Like I loved G.I. Joe. and I still have all the characters.”
He also noted that the film will not be a comedy, instead leaning into “suspense and action.” The story is set in Springfield, a town that is “secretly all COBRA….that is where our film takes place.”
A few months ago, both Max Landis and McBride had been hired by Paramount to develop separate “G.I. Joe” scripts. The studio ultimately did not move forward with Landis’ version due to “creative differences,” while continuing development with McBride’s take.
If McBride’s script moves into production next year, a 2028 release is considered likely, with casting announcements expected in the near future.
There have been three live-action “G.I. Joe” films: “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra” (2009), “G.I. Joe: Retaliation” (2013), and “Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins” (2021). While all three received negative reviews from critics, they achieved varying levels of commercial success. “The Rise of Cobra” earned approximately $302M worldwide, while “Retaliation” performed better with about $376M globally. The series declined with “Snake Eyes,” which grossed around $40M worldwide against a significantly larger budget.
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