Paramount Pictures has officially announced that Danny McBride will direct a new G.I. Joe movie.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, McBride will helm the untitled film after previously developing one of two competing treatments for the franchise. Earlier this year, Paramount considered separate pitches from McBride and screenwriter Max Landis before ultimately passing on Landis’ version and moving forward with McBride’s vision.
Paramount Moves Forward With McBride’s Vision
McBride is best known as the creator and star of HBO’s The Righteous Gemstones. He also co-wrote and produced the recent Halloween trilogy alongside director David Gordon Green. The G.I. Joe movie will mark McBride’s feature directorial debut.
Danny McBride – Josh Horowitz, YouTube
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Paramount has not revealed any story details, casting announcements, or a production timetable. However, while appearing on Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused podcast, McBride offered a few hints about what fans can expect.
McBride emphasized that his G.I. Joe movie will not be a comedy, describing it instead as a suspenseful action film.
“You’re following Duke and a group of other Joe’s,” McBride explained. “There’s that town in the comics, Springfield, which is a town that’s secretly all Cobra. And so that is where our film takes place.”
“We have some pretty interesting people lining up to be in it, too,” he added. “I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but it looks to be like it’s going to be pretty fun.”
Another Attempt to Revive G.I. Joe
Paramount’s decision marks the latest attempt to revive the G.I. Joe franchise after years of uncertainty. The toy line debuted in the 1960s before inspiring the ultra-patriotic animated series of the 1980s. While that cartoon remains an enduring pop culture icon, later attempts to bring the property back to theaters have produced mixed results.
G.I. Joe – Hasbro
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Paramount has already released two live-action G.I. Joe films and the 2021 spin-off Snake Eyes. Starring Henry Golding, Snake Eyes struggled both critically and commercially, earning only about $40 million worldwide against a much larger production budget. Since then, the studio has searched for a new creative direction capable of restoring the franchise’s theatrical appeal.
After taking over Paramount following Skydance’s merger with the studio last August, CEO David Ellison outlined an aggressive strategy centered on revitalizing major franchises, including Star Trek, Top Gun, Transformers, and G.I. Joe.
Can G.I. Joe Succeed Where Others Have Struggled?
Whether Danny McBride’s G.I. Joe can outperform this summer’s Masters of the Universe remains an open question. Also based on a beloved 1980s toy line and animated series, Amazon MGM Studios’ He-Man adaptation became one of the year’s biggest box office disappointments.
The poster for Masters of The Universe – Amazon MGM Studios
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Still, Paramount appears confident that the right filmmaker and the right story can breathe new life into one of Hasbro’s most recognizable brands.
Whether McBride leans into the grounded military action of the comics, embraces the colorful spirit of the classic animated series, or delivers something entirely unexpected remains to be seen. A release date has yet to be determined. With the franchise’s previous reboot falling short, G.I. Joe once again faces the challenge of proving that “A Real American Hero” can become a major box office force.
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