G.I. Joe producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura says a new film is in active development. Following the success of Transformers at the box office, G.I. Joe, a similar toy line and cartoon, was also adapted into 2009's G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, starring Channing Tatum and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. The franchise has seen three films with 2013's Dwayne Johnson-led G.I. Joe: Retaliation sequel and the 2021 prequel Snake Eyes, each meeting varying degrees of success.
While speaking with Collider about Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, di Bonaventura opened up about the state of the G.I. Joe film franchise. The franchise has had a rumored film in the works for some time, G.I. Joe: Ever Vigilant. However, the producer now says another movie in the franchise is finally gaining traction. Whether the film being developed is G.I. Joe: Ever Vigilant is unknown, but the producer looks hopeful about bringing the franchise back to the big screen. Check out di Bonaventura's comments on G.I. Joe below:
"We actually developed a pilot with Amazon. This was before Paramount+, just as Paramount+ was coming in. It didn't pan out. We are in a lot of conversations about what to do with it as a film, and so I would have to say, most likely you're going to see that come to fruition. How soon is always impossible to say. For a long time, there were no active conversations. There's a lot going on right now."
G.I. Joe's Film Franchise Struggles
The G.I. Joe franchise has had a rocky road at the box office. Financially, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra and G.I. Joe: Retaliation brought in decent numbers, with $300 million and $375 million worldwide, respectively. The 2021 prequel Snake Eyes didn't fare as well, pulling in around $40 million. However, Snake Eyes debuted as theaters were reopening after the COVID-19 pandemic, which likely affected its box office.
Reviews for the franchise have been relatively negative, with all three films scoring Rotten on Rotten Tomatoes, even with audiences. The one outlier is the Fresh audience score for Snake Eyes, showing it was well-liked despite the box office. However, even franchise stars have spoken out about their distaste for the movies, with Channing Tatum even requesting that his character be killed off in G.I. Joe: Retaliation. Despite bringing in a new cast, with the likes of Johnson, Bruce Willis, and Adrianne Palicki, and trying to expand with a prequel, the G.I. Joe franchise continues to falter.
G.I. Joe: Ever Vigilant is a rumored third installment that would've continued the storyline last seen in Retaliation. D.J. Caruso, director of Disturbia and XXX: The Return of Xander Cage, was said to be directing the film, which would've hoped to also bring back stars like Johnson to the series. With di Bonaventura actively developing another G.I. Joe film, it could be reinvigorated work on Ever Vigilant or a new project entirely. Further details on the new G.I. Joe movie will be forthcoming as the project develops.
Source: Collider