Paramount Pictures and Hasbro Studios are still trying to get their G.I. JOE franchise up and running after G.I. JOE: THE RISE OF COBRA and G.I. JOE: RETALIATION failed to impress critics and didn't exactly light up the box-office compared to other blockbusters, and now THR has reported that Paramount and Hasbro have put another G.I. JOE project into development.
Josh Appelbaum and Andre Nemec, the pair behind films such as TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES and MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE: GHOST PROTOCOL, have been tapped to pen the script for what is being described as an ensemble piece. Not much is known about the project at this time, but one of the characters who will be featured is Chuckles, the team's undercover infiltration specialist. THR notes that Chuckles will not be the center of the film, but that things could change as development progresses. In addition to this new project, Paramount and Hasbro are also developing another main G.I. JOE team movie as well as a spin-off which will focus on Snake Eyes, one of the most popular characters in the entire franchise. It seems that the SNAKE EYES spin-off will be the first out of the gate as it's currently in pre-production and slated for an October 16, 2020 release. There are likely other spin-offs in the works as well, but honestly, perhaps the focus should be on just getting one right.
Hasbro executives Simon Waters and Steve Davis have previously stated that the intention is to reboot the G.I. JOE franchise with a "revamped look intended to appeal to younger audiences," which Waters described as "a more millennial approach." Whatever that means.
The world has changed, and I think you’re going to see G.I. Joe changing with it. There’s going to be a much more contemporary approach to the whole franchise, and that will allow us to develop different characters.
Steve Davis added that they "hope to create a head snap. It’s a different kind of ‘Joe’ — one that still resonates with ‘Joe’ fans but brings in an uninitiated audience and expands the audience internationally and domestically." The G.I. JOE franchise could be a hell of a lot of fun, and I've got my fingers crossed that Paramount and Hasbro finally get it right.