[Drum roll] They're making a live-action movie based on Hasbro's toy and cartoon series, G.I. Joe. On the heels of Transformers' success this makes tonnes of sense, it's just a wonder I was never tapped to helm the project.
Shooting has barely started, but so far it actually looks like it's heading in a not-entirely-shitty direction. Mostly due to casting that varies from perfect to interesting (definitely file Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Cobra Commander under interesting). On the other hand the director is Stephen Sommers (of Mummy and Van Helsing fame). It could be worse though, it could've been Ratner.
Channing Tatum... as Duke
Sienna Miller... as Baroness
Rachel Nichols... as Scarlett
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje... as Heavy Duty
Saïd Taghmaoui... as Breaker
Byung-hun Lee... Storm Shadow
Ray Park... as Snake Eyes
Joseph Gordon-Levitt... as Cobra Commander
Dennis Quaid... as Hawk
Christopher Eccleston... as Destro
Arnold Vosloo... Zartan (rumored)
Marlon Wayans... as Ripcord (rumored)
And as evidenced by the more international cast, apparently their trying to soften the Americanicity of the show/toy, considering Joes aren't the most popular people at home or abroad right now. This from FoxNews, who report that some are a bit rankled by the updated concept:
"Paramount has confirmed that in the movie, the name G.I. Joe will become an acronym for "Global Integrated Joint Operating Entity" — an international, coed task force charged with defeating bad guys. It will no longer stand for government issued, as in issued by the American government.
The studio won't elaborate, saying filming hasn't begun and details are still in the works, but the behind-the-scenes rumblings are that the producers have decided to change the nature of G.I. Joe in order to appeal to a wider, more international audience.
The word is that in the current political climate, they're afraid that a heroic U.S. soldier won't fly."
But really, this ishttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifn't about politics because whatever they change about it, the film will still inevitably express Joe's heritage of ultra Americanism. It might not do as well in the theaters abroad as Transformers, and that hardly went beyond being a commercial for the Army. So international box office receipts for G.I. Joe will probably be decent.
Everbody will still make their money and that's what it is really about... as such, Dennis Quaid already reports that he's been scanned for his action figure (and has signed on for two sequels after this one). Ka-ching!
Everbody will still make their money and that's what it is really about... as such, Dennis Quaid already reports that he's been scanned for his action figure (and has signed on for two sequels after this one). Ka-ching!
Selected images courtesy / keep updated: G.I. Joe Movie Blog
No Shipwreck?
ReplyDeleteCome on, with the Pirates of the Carribean craze, how can you not include a jolly ol' pirate?