With news that there is a reboot of the G.I. Joe movie franchise in the works, with Bradley Cooper to star, here is all we know about it.
G.I. Joe is a beloved action figure and comic line – and has been for decades now – but, after the success of Barbie, it has been decided that Paramount Pictures are going to have another crack at a big-screen version of the Hasbro line.
We have had previous movie versions of G.I. Joe earlier in the century, but this is all-new, as revealed by Deadline, and the team behind it are aiming high with A-lister Bradley Cooper already signed up to star, which is sure to get fans excited. But it could be quite different to the cartoon series that a generation grew up watching.
Here is all we know about the upcoming G.I. Joe movie.
Who is behind the G.I. Joe movie?
Danny McBride is directing the movie. Danny is best known for starring in TV series such as Eastbound and Down (2009-13) and The Righteous Gemstones (2019-25), as well as writing for Blumhouse’s Halloween trilogy (2018-22) and The Exorcist: Believer (2023). Danny is also co-writing the movie alongside Jeff Fradley and John Carcieri.
Who is starring in G.I. Joe?
The headline news is that Bradley Cooper – star of films such as the Hangover series and Is This Thing On?, which he also directed earlier this year – will star in the movie as Duke, the military unit leader. Bradley was top of Danny’s wishlist for the role and, according to Deadline, after reading the script and meeting Danny, he was on board.
No other roles have yet been announced, but this will come as it moves closer to production. Given Bradley’s involvement, it could help to pull in other high-profile stars.
Have there been previous G.I. Joe movies?
Yes, there have been three. The first was G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra in 2009, followed by G.I. Joe: Retaliation in 2013. After a gap of eight years, a prequel movie aired – Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins.
The first two movies performed fairly well at the box office. The first two movies grossed $302 million and $376 million respectively at the global box office. The third movie took just $40 million – although this did come during pandemic times.
However, none we particularly well received by critics, and, at the time of writing, none have more than 35% on Rotten Tomatoes.
What is the plot of the G.I. Joe movie?
Plot details are being kept secret for the time being. However, we do know that it will be a reimagining of the franchise, so won’t follow on from the previous G.I. Joe movies, nor will it have anything to do with the planned crossover movie with the Transformers, which has been shelved.
The only hint Danny has given has come from an appearance on Josh Horowitz’s Happy, Sad, Confused podcast recently, that said the movie will be set in a town called Springfield, which is secretly all Cobra, and the Joes will come up against them. He also mentioned that it won’t be a comedy.
G.I. Joe plots usually follows an elite special missions force, led by Duke, battling against the terrorist organisation Cobra, so it is a pretty safe bet that it will involve war and action and explosions. Possibility not in that order.
When can we see the new G.I. Joe movie?
We haven’t got a release date yet for the G.I. Joe movie. Given that it is still casting and production isn’t slated to start until next year, it would likely that the release date will be sometime in 2028.
