Paramount Taps Landis & McBride for New 'G.I. Joe'

This move follows three prior live-action G.I. Joe films that saw inconsistent box office returns and poor critical reception. The first installment, *G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra* (2009), earned $302.5 million worldwide on a $175 million budget, while its 2013 sequel, *G.I. Joe: Retaliation*, grossed a series-high of $375 million against a smaller $135 million budget. The most recent attempt to reboot the franchise, *Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins* (2021), was a significant financial failure. The film grossed just over $40 million globally with a production budget of $88 million, effectively halting any immediate plans for a direct follow-up. Danny McBride is primarily known for co-creating and starring in HBO comedy series like *Eastbound & Down*, *Vice Principals*, and *The Righteous Gemstones*. He also has experience reviving established IP, having co-written the recent successful trilogy of *Halloween* horror films. Max Landis, son of director John Landis, gained prominence for writing the found-footage superhero film *Chronicle* (2012) and the Netflix original movie *Bright* (2017). His work often features high-concept genre blends and deconstructions of familiar tropes. Landis's involvement is notable as he has not worked on a major Hollywood project in recent years following multiple accusations of sexual and emotional abuse. This hiring marks a potential return for the controversial screenwriter. Paramount is reportedly developing two separate scripts simultaneously, one by Landis and one by McBride. The studio may be planning to later merge the two screenplays into a single film, a strategy sometimes used by studios to generate multiple creative options for a high-value franchise. The new projects are part of a broader strategy to revitalize Hasbro properties on screen, which also includes a long-teased crossover event between the G.I. Joe and *Transformers* franchises.