Way back in May of this year, we reported that a newG.I. Joemovie was in the works from Paramount and Hasbro. Centering on the silent ninjaSnake Eyes, the spinoff flick was written byEvan Spiliotopoulos(The Huntsman: Winter’s War, Beauty and the Beast);Brian Goldneris also on board as a producer. Now, it’s looking like some progress is being made on this movie in earnest asRobert Schwentke(RED) is in talks to direct.
Varietyreports that Schwentke and Paramount are in early talks for the reboot of the film franchise based on the classic Hasbro toy line. Schwentke, whose 2017 historical war dramaThe Captainachieved critical acclaim, was also at the helm for such films asRED,R.I.P.D., and the second and third installments in theDivergenttrilogy/quadrilogy.
Make of this news what you will. The good news is that Paramount hasn’t given up on theG.I. Joefranchise, though Hasbro hasn’t really put the marketing muscle behind any new versions of their toys the way they’ve done in decades past. Maybe that’s about to change. The bad news, in my opinion, is that Spiliotopoulos and Schwentke don’t exactly scream fresh, original, or even interesting. I haven’t seenThe Captain, so maybe Schwentke’s handling of the war drama will pave the way for something serviceable inSnake Eyesbut it’s hard to get excited at the moment.
If you’re unfamiliar with the title character, a favorite among fans and a fun side character in the previously releasedG.I. Joemovies, Snake Eyes is a silent ninja commando with a penchant for wearing black and palling around with his pet wolf, Timber. His archenemy, Storm Shadow, is a rival ninja and also his blood brother.Ray Parkplayed the part of Snake Eyes in the first twoJoefilms whileByung-Hun Leeplayed Storm Shadow. With a reboot of this franchise, you’re able to expect a recast as well. Be sure to let us know who you think could play the parts and how you think the silent Snake Eyes is going to be handled as the lead character.
