Variety reports that Stephen Sommers will direct the live-action film version of G.I. Joe, which is due in theaters in 2009.
While “G.I. Joe” served several futile tours of duty as a movie property, its momentum has been helped by “Transformers,” the movie transfer of another Hasbro brand. That di Bonaventura-produced film has grossed $667 million worldwide for studio partners DreamWorks and Paramount.
Hasbro’s Goldner said that the mythology of G.I Joe was fleshed out during the 1980s through 155 issues of Marvel Comics, as well as an animated TV series. There are about 30 core characters, good and evil, that can be exploited in films.
“Marrying Steve’s vision with 25 years of this brand mythology feels like a great way to go forward,” Goldner said.
The story notes that Hasbro is also looking at possible movies based on their Monopoly and Battleship games.
August 24th, 2007 at 7:24 am
Do you remember the old”Wizard Casting Call”where they named Gary Oldman for Commander Cobra’s role?I WANT GARY OLDMAN AS COMMANDER COBRA!HE ISSSSS PERFECT!
August 24th, 2007 at 7:47 am
Hasbro is also looking at possible movies based on their Monopoly and Battleship games.
The mind…boggles. (tee hee)
I love Monopoly. But I think a movie based on it would be even less interesting than Clue.
August 24th, 2007 at 8:04 am
This needs to be played slightly tongue in cheek and over the top. A serious GI Joe movie would be downright dreadful. The joy of Cobra Commander is how freaking goofy he is.
August 24th, 2007 at 8:12 am
If this is goofy and like the cartoon it will be awful and even worse than the Transformers movie, basing it round the comic characters and in the style of something like the Bourne trilogy would be awesome and make it a respectable as well as successful film, otherwise it will end up like the terrible Street Fighter film.
August 24th, 2007 at 8:33 am
I thought Clue was great. I actually think Monopoly could work as a comedy. Get a bunch of good comic actors together. One owns a shoe company, another’s a race car driver, another is the official supplier of hats to all major sports teams…you get the picture. Someone representing each of the Monopoly tokens. They all want to own a certain piece of property in New Jersey for future development. Much scheming, bargaining, and backstabbing occurs in a variety of funny ways, until some sort of surprising conclusion. Or, maybe they have this plan:
Monopoly movie –> ??? –> Profit!
August 24th, 2007 at 8:40 am
If GI Joe is such a valuable property and the cartoon is cited as one of the reasons for that, why the hell hasn’t Sony finished releasing the cartoon on dvd?
August 24th, 2007 at 8:58 am
I am excited about the possibility of a proper G.I. Joe movie. I love it that these days, they are taking this type of property very seriously and they realize the value of these franchises. With that being said, I’m hearing second hand rumors about this movie that make me a little nervous. The biggest one is the thought of using Action Man. It should be Duke, Hawk, Snake-Eyes, Scarlett, Flint, Jaye, Roadblock, Stalker, Shipwreck or Spirit, and either Sparks or Mainframe.
August 24th, 2007 at 9:04 am
From what I’ve read, Sommers went right to the head Paramount guys and they hired him on the spot.
I think this means the rumored “international GI Joe” idea is done, since that was the producer’s idea and Sommers, who apparently disagreed with that, just went over his head.
August 24th, 2007 at 9:05 am
This needs to be serious! It needs to be respected
August 24th, 2007 at 9:12 am
So, Brendan Frasier for Duke?
August 24th, 2007 at 9:22 am
This property needs to be played seriously. Transformers at least had the spectacle of giant robots smashing stuff to counteract the goofiness of the script and silent Decepticons. G.I. Joe has been done a million times before in Hollywood. They need to watch Black Hawk Down and Saving Private Ryanand make it serious-minded, but with fantastical elements. Make a crack team of a couple of Joes like America’s Elite. Make them the Joe equivalent to Ahnuld’s team in Predator.This could be really good–IF THEY DO IT RIGHT.
August 24th, 2007 at 9:29 am
I think the movie should have both very serious moments and a few bits of light humor to keep it from being too wooden. I remember the original G.I. Joe comic from ’82 having both light and dark moments…
August 24th, 2007 at 9:39 am
G.I. Joe is all about an ensemble cast, and that’s how it needs to be handled. It won’t work like it did with X-Men, where, mostly, all you needed to see was Wolverine. Personally, I don’t trust Hollywood with such characters, especially when it’s all about the franchise, not the story.
August 24th, 2007 at 9:47 am
When the comic book first came out it had a “real” tone to it. Then with the toy line, the cartoon, the comic book fell quickly to the level of a joke. The characters “Joes” if played real could be done as an awsom movie. I hope they play this out as real as possible but keep is low level violent for the kids. You can have real action and not be over board on graphic violence.
August 24th, 2007 at 9:53 am
A movie based on Monopoly would only work with Jim Carrey in the lead as the monocle-wearing ‘Monopoly Guy’…funny enough in ‘Ace Ventura’ he pokes fun at someone in a party that looks like that guy!Hollywood is well known for its weird coincidences,so who knows,it could happen!The story could be somethin akin to Rat Race…only better,like he presents them with a challenge and the other players in the movie begin competing agressively to secure a win…only its on Jim Carrey’s character’s terms.Just a thought…I talk waaaaay too much.haha
August 24th, 2007 at 10:16 am
Groovy man! I want the Snake Eyes / Storm Shadow rivalry like Marvel and Sigma 6(spirit who?) and the Mainframe / Zarana romance which was one of the best things in the 80s cartoon. Oh and maybe Cobra Commander trying to draw his face on the moon ha ha! Just make sure his last line in the film is “RETREAT! RETREAT!”
For Cobra Commander since it’s just a mask get a stunt person and his voice actor from the 80s cartoon, the Sigma 6 actor if he’s not available. Would make up for Starscream’s not so great voice in the Transformers movie.
And keep Michael Bay faaaar away from this. I liked the Transformers movie, it was a lot fun but I wished it was more respectable to the older material. I mean they didn’t even play the Transformers song in the closing credits I mean COME ON Raimi puts the Spider-Man song in all of the films. If I don’t hear the G.I. Joe song in some shape/size form I’m gonna be pissed like the time I lent out my Zartan toy and never got it back, D’OH!
August 24th, 2007 at 10:38 am
The first 50 issues of Joe were great. Then Hasbro introduced silly characters and the comic had to follow suit. Get back to the core concept of G.I.Joe vs Cobra. Make it serious but still give us that bit of fantasy with Cobra’s villains and vehicles. Cobra Commander (without the lisp, Baroness, Destro and Major Bludd). Save Storm Shadow for a sequel.
For the Joes, I agree with comment #7 by Mike.
August 24th, 2007 at 10:43 am
I would love to see a well done, serious film based on GI Joe that is faithful to the source material and loaded with fun action set-pieces and good character moment. If Stephen Sommers directs this film it more than likely will be a god awful CGI nightmare. I’ll pass for now.
August 24th, 2007 at 10:49 am
the important thing to remember is that Cobra “retreats”, Joe’s “fall back”.
Anything they get right after that will be gravy.
August 24th, 2007 at 11:04 am
i think it should be a little big and goofy. it would be lame if it came out looking like just a generic army movie. As close to the feel of the cartoon as they can get.
August 24th, 2007 at 11:05 am
“For Cobra Commander since it’s just a mask get a stunt person and his voice actor from the 80s cartoon, the Sigma 6 actor if he’s not available”
Then we’re going with the actor of Sigma 6 because Chris Latta is no longer with us.
I guarantee you guys that the cast will be small, probably focusing mostly on G.I.Joe himself and Action Man. There is no way they aren’t going ot have Action Man in this movie, the international dollars (which can make up half your gross these days) pretty much demand it). I bet a few of the other joes get SOME screen time or the team goes to the desert or something and they rush and show the desert guys real quick before going back to the story.
August 24th, 2007 at 11:37 am
Its all about Snake-Eyes and Storm Shadow, it always has been.
August 24th, 2007 at 11:38 am
I love the GI characters, I grew up on the Marvel comic, and I hope that can find at least some of their inspiration from Larry Hama’s great stuff in the early issues. If they have to throw in some Action Man and other characters for an international audience, fine, but if they play up the idea from the comic that Cobra Commander is a disgruntled American businessman, and not some ‘foreign invader, I think there’s less chance of Flints and Zartans being burned in effigy overseas.
August 24th, 2007 at 12:12 pm
get Ving Rhames or Michael Clark Duncan for ROADBLOCK!!
August 24th, 2007 at 12:20 pm
I would like to see the movie’s tone more like the comic – it had an old-fashioned war movie feel in its dramatic moments, but there was a lot of A-Team-style fun, too.
August 24th, 2007 at 1:03 pm
To me, a serious GI Joe movie completely misses the point. I’m not saying that I want Roadblock doing his ridiculous rhyming and stuff, but a light hearted. R-Rated action movie with some serious comic undertones is where this needs to go, I think.
I wouldn’t be disappointed if the guys who wrote the Transformers did the script for GI Joe.
August 24th, 2007 at 2:01 pm
“Then we’re going with the actor of Sigma 6 because Chris Latta is no longer with us.”
Wow I didn’t know that thanks man.
That’s a shame and now I’m a little depressed. Man Cobra Commander, Starscream, why he even voiced Doctor Octopus on Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends and I used that voice for Doc Ock for YEARS in my head whenever I read him, until the second Spidey movie came out and I switched over to the movie actor.
Anyway RIP Chris Latta. -_-
August 24th, 2007 at 2:30 pm
Sucky Chris Latta died, always loved his whiney villains!
Monopoly the movie. Who to cast as the boot? Who will play the rough but lovable iron? And what lucky actress will get the dream role as thimble? Uncle Moneybags – at last in live action. See him win second place in a beauty contest. Cry for him as he goes to the poor house, then jail! Cheer for him when he builds a hotel on Boardwalk and Park Avenue!
August 24th, 2007 at 3:51 pm
steve sommers’ name doom sthis film to suckiness
August 24th, 2007 at 5:58 pm
Cobra-la-la-la-la-la-la!
I want Serpentor and Cobra Commander! I want Russell Crowe and Gary Oldman! I want the impossible! lol
Hopefully this’ll be done cool. They’ve got some real potential for fun, and hottness with gals in the roles of Baroness, Scarlett and Lady J.
August 25th, 2007 at 12:24 am
Mega Gear X
“This property needs to be played seriously. Transformers at least had the spectacle of giant robots smashing stuff to counteract the goofiness of the script and silent Decepticons.”
Actually, the “goofiness” of the script worked in Transformers’ favor. Like the cartoon, the movie is ESCAPIST sci-fi rather than a serious commentary on human-robot relations (A.I., Bicentennial Man, etc.) Hence, Transformers’ fun tone was true to its source material and enabled it to tap into a broader audience than many recent sci-fi films.
Regarding the Decepticons; Barricade, Starscream, Frenzy and especially Megatron spoke. So, it would be more accurate to say that SOME of the Decepticons were silent.
August 25th, 2007 at 12:33 am
skeletorjr said
“If they have to throw in some Action Man and other characters for an international audience, fine, but if they play up the idea from the comic that Cobra Commander is a disgruntled American businessman, and not some ‘foreign invader, I think there’s less chance of Flints and Zartans being burned in effigy overseas.”
Of course, Sommers will be burned in effigy by Americans who resent the “USA = Great Satan” mindset. Continuity be damned, these Americans would brand Sommers a traitor for making Cobra Commander a White American businessman instead of an Arab Muslim businessman.
It’s ironic that a movie about intelligent alien robots (Transformers) is an easier sell than G.I. Joe in the post-9/11 world.
August 25th, 2007 at 8:40 am
Do ya remember the cop in Snyder’s “Dawn of the dead”?HE IS ROADBLOCK!!!!!
I hope in a good movie,not a trash-nostalgia homage.& not a scum like Transformers.
August 25th, 2007 at 9:32 am
The GI Joe movie should be set in the 80′s- bad clothes, goofy hairstyles, just go completely retro. I’m not sure if it’ll work if the producers try to adapt it to the modern day.
August 25th, 2007 at 3:39 pm
giorgio mecali said
“Do ya remember the cop in Snyder’s “Dawn of the dead”?HE IS ROADBLOCK!!!!!”
That’s Ving Rhames who’s already been suggested on the blog.
“I hope in a good movie,not a trash-nostalgia homage.& not a scum like Transformers.”
Actually, Sommers would be lucky if GI Joe is half as good as Transformers. Michael Bay REALLY raised the bar for cool blockbusters based on popular toys.
August 26th, 2007 at 11:39 pm
I’m a huge Joe fan, but the only positive thing I can see coming from the making of this film is if it convinces Sony to finally rerelease the entire cartoon series on DVD.
Live-action JOE will suck, even in the best of all possible worlds. Just gimme the cartoon, dammit.
September 21st, 2007 at 7:28 pm
Here’s my fantasy cast:
General Hawk: Bruce Willis, nuff said.
Snake Eyes: That guy who played Darth Mahl would work since he doesn’t speak and you never see his face.
Duke: Looks as though Mark Wahlberg is a lock so I’ll accept it though he doesn’t have enough charisma to pull it off in my opinion. Duke is more a man of action and Marky Mark likes to talk in his movies.
Storm Shadow: Jet Li
Cobra Commander: Nicolas Cage
Road Block: Ving Rhames is a great choice.
Destro: anyone W/ James Earl Jones’ voice. (It’ll be tricky getting that gold/silver mask’s lips to move like it did in the cartoon).
Quick Kick: That guy who played Liu Kang?sp in Mortal Kombat. He should make an appearence but not get extended face time.
Stalker: Samuel L or Jamie Foxx.
Doc: Morgan Freeman.
Zartan: That guy from “Crank” and “Transporter” who’s name escapes me. He’d have to really be evil for it to work though. Don’t know that he can pull it off.
Lt. Falcon: Josh Hartnett
Flint: Matt Damon
Lady Jaye: Jessica Alba
Jinx: Lucy Liu
Skarlette: Skarlette Johanson
Spirit Iron-Knife: That guy from Apacalypto.
Serpentor: Russell Crowe is Awesome! But I’d put Ray Finnes there. Russell crowe would be a clasic Mercer. (The cobra “viper” who saw the light and joined the Joe cause.)
Barroness: Kathrine Zeta Jones
Major Bludd: Sean Conerey would work.
The Movie should also have a 45 minute span of no speaking in which Snake-Eyes goes stealth Ninja on 50 or so Cobras and kicks major R-rated A$$.
Now if i could just come up with the Crimson Twin characters we’d have the makings of a great cast and possibly a good movie.
November 6th, 2007 at 12:51 pm
I am a Marine and offened buy hasbro and paramount of turning GIJOE to an International task force. GIJOE came about from an American World War 2 Hero who was awarded the Medal of Honor. which is how GIJOE came about, Government Issued Joes. But because america is not popular in the rest of the world they have taken the honor and respect from American Soldiers who are heros in exchange for profit. To add insult to injury Cobra Commander is to be a American CIA agent turned bad guy. So an American incharge of a terrorist organization bent on world conquest. Can any 1 say playing to the global crowed who hate Americans. Governement Issued Joes have been an American Military name for a long time. As a member of the US military i am angered. So are others in my platoon once they heard of this. Not 1 of us or our familys will be watching this movie. we will be boy coting this movie and all related items to it. I cant believe that an American company would spit in the faces of American troops every where for profit.
November 7th, 2007 at 1:01 pm
Well I am a United States Navy. I am very angry that Hasbro and paramount pictures are more interested in the profits off the GIJOE movie then showing American Heroes. GIJOE Stands for Government Issue Joe’s. It came about during WW2 when a Hero won the Medal of Honor. Ever since then GIJOE stood for all American troops in uniform past and present. Now they want to make it more PC because the whole world has a negative opinion about Americans and may not want to watch a movie about Real American Heroes fighting terrorist around the world. Global Integrated Joint Operational Entity, under the rule of the U.N., who really believes that happening. To add insult to injury cobra commander will be an American CIA agent turned Bad guy who ends up leader of the terrorist group bent on world domination. Can any 1 say playing to the global communities out look on Americans? So they will be stripping the Honor of Being a GIJOE from all American Troops every where, now they want to show an American causing terror around the world with all his buddies. Since the GIJOE movie is no longer about REAL AMERICAN HEROS any more they should just change the name all together cause I am a Real GIJOE and completely offended by Hasbro and paramount pictures. Since Hasbro and paramount just turned there backs on all American troops they won’t need American Dollars to support the movie and all the Toys they have already started to alter to fit the new concept of the movie. I will be boycotting the movie as well as others in my division. No one in our families as well, will even waste the time and effort even giving the movie a second thought.
December 14th, 2007 at 12:09 pm
I am an Officer in the United States Navy. I think Hasbro and Paramount are stupid to change the image of GI JOE so it would not “offend” international viewers. Well I say that’s bull crap. The international viewers probably won’t ever care about the film’s idea due that most of the world are flower hugging pansies. If they don’t go back the original idea of GI JOE: A REAL AMERICAN HERO, I’ll boycott the movie as well.
February 13th, 2008 at 5:38 pm
g.i.joe. the movie…i cant wait !!!
g.ijoes are not just americans.!!
March 24th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
I am a member of the United States Military. I am very angry at the GIJOE movie being changed from Real American Heroes to a more global friendly picture that plays on the anti American sentiment. GIJOE stands for Government Issued Joes which came about during WW2 from a Medal of Honor winner. My self and other Military personnel are starting an email camping to boy cot Hasbro and all related items about the movie. As fare as I am concerned this is a slap in the face to all American Military world wide past and present. Any one involved in this Movie in any way is a traitor to the American Way of Life. Since when did it become so wrong to be a Real American Hero? To add insult to injury to all Americans, Cobra Commander is an American CIA agent turned traitor who ends up leading cobra. So an American in charge of a terrorist group!! Nice to see Hollywood is so Pro America??? 1 major insult I find is, in the movie GIJOE will fall under the command of the U.N. Since when did the U.N. do any thing for the world except complain and criticize those for taking action to help to help save lives?? Any 1?
I am a United States Marine and a Real American Hero. As fare as I am concerned the actors of the upcoming movie have turned their backs on the troops of the United States Military.Hear is a quote from a former service member Retired Army Col. David W. Hunt, a FOX News military and terrorism analyst, called the scheme to make a whole new Joe “a shame.” G.I. Joe is a U.S. guy,” Hunt said. “What are we going to call it — Global Joe? International Joe? It’s kind of stupid. It’s ridiculous that they’re doing that.
Juts 1 More thing, GIJOE has all ways been American Soldiers.