Channing Tatum reveals how much he hated starring in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. Tatum’s character Duke appeared in both the 2009 film and briefly in its sequel, G.I. Joe: Retaliation. The films are often credited with solidifying Tatum’s Hollywood leading man status. His next production, the highly anticipated Magic Mike’s Last Dance and third installment of the Magic Mike series, will be released in theaters on February 10.
Tatum shares during Vanity Fair’s lie detector test how he hated having to take on the role of leading soldier Duke in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.
Tatum explains that he tried to pass on the film “seven times,” but was contractually obligated to star by Paramount. Not eager to return, his character was, to his relief, killed off in the first ten minutes of G.I. Joe Retaliation. Check out a quote of Tatum commenting on his G.I. Joe experience below:
The first one I passed on seven times, but they had an option on me and I had to do the movie. So the second one, I obviously just didn’t want to do that one either.
Will There Be A Snake Eye 2?
Tatum’s strong aversion to the original film is understandable. In the pre-production phase, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra received criticism when script drafts were leaked. While this led to rewrites with comic book writer Larry Hama, the film still received negative reviews by critics, who declared the film to be “silly” and “cartoonish.” The following sequel replaced Tatum’s central character with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s Roadblock and Bruce Willis’ General Joe. G.I. Joe: Retaliation was viewed as somewhat of an improvement, but still overwhelmingly subpar. Since then, there has been talk of a G.I. Joe and Transformers crossover movie.
The trend of negative reception continued in Snake Eyes, the 2021 reboot and origin story featuring Henry Golding as the titular character. Though the visuals and Golding’s performance were praised, there was criticism revolving around the writing, editing, and action sequences. In contrast with the previous films, Snake Eyes also flopped at the box office, grossing only $40 million, which was less than half of its budget. A direct sequel was announced prior to release in May 2020 — but after the film’s financial failure, the project was seemingly paused or discarded. The likelihood of Snake Eyes 2 taking off is low, given a lack of viewer interest but also the franchise’s continuous misfires in conceiving of and executing a coherent, worthwhile story.
G.I. Joe would require major revamping should it ever be once again adapted for the screen. It’s clear that audiences are seeking a viewing experience that is more thoughtful and not so over-the-top that the content is comical. The G.I. Joe comic books, video games, and animated adaptations prove that this is indeed possible, when in the right hands. Looking back, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra launched an unfruitful film franchise — but it did at least introduce many audiences to Tatum, and he’s since moved on to bigger and better things.
Source: Vanity Fair