G.I. Joe roars back: grounded reboot locks in director

Here we go again with G.I. Joe. You'd think, after all the grief and box office disasters, Paramount might finally call it a day on giving Hasbro's musclebound action figure squad the big-screen treatment. But no: they're doubling down with a very different choice behind the camera this time around.

Danny McBride: From Comedy to Commandos

Danny McBride – yes, that Danny McBride, the one with the constantly furrowed brow in Pineapple Express, Eastbound & Down, and a dozen other sweary American comedies – has signed on to direct the next G.I. Joe film for Paramount Pictures. He also wrote the script himself, reportedly besting a rival draft from Max Landis (never one to shy away from a studio rewrite, that bloke).

This will be McBride’s first time directing a feature film, though he’s been behind the camera for several episodes of his own HBO hit, The Righteous Gemstones. If you’re surprised McBride would leap from comedy to action franchises: fair enough, but the man’s CV is stranger than you might assume. He co-wrote all three of those Blumhouse Halloween films and has a story credit on The Exorcist: Believer. Less toilet humour, more masked psychos than expected.

What’s This New G.I. Joe Actually About?

If you’re picturing a send-up in the vein of McBride’s usual stuff – don’t. McBride says his G.I. Joe take is not a comedy. Instead, he’s aiming for something 'grounded' and 'suspenseful', much more a thriller than a spoof.

‘There’s a town called Springfield that is secretly all Cobra. That is where our film takes place.’ – Danny McBride,
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The story focuses on Joe stalwart Duke (expect rumours and casting speculation here – we’ll get to that) and his squad dropped into a town that, straight out of the classic 1980s Marvel comics, is a front for the terror group Cobra. If you know your G.I. Joe lore, Springfield is deep-cut material, so someone’s been doing their homework.

Who’s In, Who’s Out

• Directed by: Danny McBride (first time helming a feature film)
• Written by: Danny McBride (over Max Landis's competing draft)
• Main Characters: Duke and assorted ‘Joes’
• Setting: Springfield, all-American town, secretly a Cobra stronghold
• Budgets/casting status: Filming is targeted for 2027; talks with actors are underway, according to McBride, but he’s not naming names
• Rumour mill: Bradley Cooper is apparently in the mix for Duke, though nothing’s pinned down and Paramount is keeping it zipped officially
• Release date: No date set yet

Paramount’s Hasbro Obsession

If you feel Paramount’s desperately chasing old toybox gold, you’re not alone. The studio has had success squeezing every penny possible out of Transformers, but their previous G.I. Joe efforts – including Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins in 2021 – were duds. McBride’s G.I. Joe joins a pile of other Hasbro projects at Paramount, including a live-action take on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and another Star Trek reboot (this one from John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein), all marked as high priority by studio brass. Not everyone will see it as good news, but there’s no denying they’re pushing hard with the brand crossovers.