Disclaimer: This news post and its associated discussion thread contain a major spoiler from an upcoming movie.
Due to the spoilerific nature of the news post, please navigate after the jump for the content.
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is not even out yet, but we are now hearing about a potential new live-action film being developed at Paramount Pictures.
While the subject matter has always been in a ‘Will they? Won’t they?’ situation, Transformers x G.I. Joe live-action crossover seems to be in motion.
Popular entertainment news leaker Daniel Richtman has informed his Patreons about the news through paid access.
It is not clear how far along the project is but with producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura hinting at this development, we may soon hear an official word about the matter.
Flabbergasting everyone, G.I. Joe: Retaliation has reached Netflix’s US Top 10 list for the week.
It is unclear why the movie suddenly skyrocketed in popularity. It was not too long ago that the 2nd live-action movie celebrated its 10th anniversary.
At the time of this writing, G.I. Joe: Retaliation has claimed up the ladder from the 10th position to the 9th. We even expect it to climb more.
It was not too long ago that we heard a rumor of a new G.I. Joe Live-Action Movie in development.
Confirming the rumor, producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura spoke to Collider about the current status of the movie:
“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.”
It is highly likely that the aforementioned pilot episode is none other than the ill-fated Lady Jaye series for Amazon. Since its announcement, the status of the live-action series was up in the air.
But now we know… and knowing is half the battle.
Industry insider In Like Clint is tweeting that Paramount Pictures is looking to reboot the G.I. Joe Live Action Movie Franchise (again!?!) with producer David Ellison at the helm.
It is unclear whether Mr. Ellison will completely replace producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura, who is currently the spearheader of the franchise. Both of them worked together on the financial disaster that was G.I. Joe: Snake Eyes.
Paramount is also reportedly eyeing veteran actor Michael Keaton for an unspecified role within the rebooted Joe universe.
The studio kicked off the live-action G.I. Joe series with G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra (2009). The movie was panned by the critics and Paramount course-corrected with a soft-reboot titled G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013). This second unsuccessful attempt led to a hard-reboot with G.I. Joe: Snake Eyes in 2021. With the COVID climate wreaking havoc across the industry, Snake Eyes never reached the break-even point.
Not too long ago, Hasbro renewed its agreement with Paramount Pictures for the Transformers and G.I. Joe franchises.
This news comes in light of this renewed contract between the two giants.
We await for more development.
Paramount is set to release a special 4K UHD Blu-ray release to commemorate the 10-year anniversary of G.I. Joe: Retaliation.
Product Notes:
This hit sequel to the 2009 actioner finds most of the Joe team killed in an ambush and its remaining members wanted for a crime they didn’t commit. Now, Roadblock (Dwayne Johnson), Lady Jaye (Adrianne Palicki), Flint (D.J. Cotrona), and Snake Eyes (Ray Park) enlist the aid of old foe Storm Shadow (Byung-hun Lee) and the original G.I. Joe (Bruce Willis) to prove their innocence and stop the evil Cobra organization’s plot to rule the world.
Specifications:
- Movie MPAA Rating: Pg-13
- Genre: Action/Adventure
- Movie Studio: Paramount
- Run Time (minutes): 110
- Format: 4K/UHD
- Language: English
- Content: 2-Discs
- Release Date: 03/28/2023
You can check out the images, after the jump.
Hasbro held its Q4 & Full Year 2022 Financial Call and made several announcements regarding the company’s current situation and future plans.
Hasbro’s new strategic plan, Blueprint 2.0, focuses on fewer, bigger, and more profitable brands, a sharpened focus on key categories, and growth initiatives in digital games, content, direct-to-consumer, and licensing. The company made progress in improving its bottom line despite a disappointing Q4, with $50 million in run-rate cost savings identified in 2022 and an anticipated $150 million in run-rate savings in 2023. Hasbro’s Direct Business and Wizards of the Coast, and Digital Gaming saw growth, with Magic: The Gathering reaching a billion-dollar brand milestone. However, there were challenges, including supply chain disruptions, pricing assumptions, and misfiring in updating the Open Game License. Hasbro’s licensing business was up 5%, with success in preschool, creativity, and action categories. The company is focused on growing market share and content centered around Hasbro IP. In 2023, Hasbro anticipates revenue to be down low-single digits, but progress in cost savings, operational excellence, and key brand initiatives is expected to drive continued operating margin expansion.
CEO Chris Cocks stated:
“In October, we laid out our new strategic plan for Hasbro, Blueprint 2.0, built on fewer, bigger, more profitable brands; a sharpened focus on the categories where Hasbro can be best in class; an Operational Excellence program to speed our agility and improve our cost competitiveness; and growth initiatives in digital games, Hasbro content, direct to consumer and licensing. While Q4 proved to be a disappointment, particularly in our traditional Toys and Games segment, we made progress under the hood that meaningfully improved our bottom line and sets us up for margin expansion in 2023 despite what we anticipate will be a continued challenging consumer environment.”
You can check out our full report, after the jump.
Speaking to Variety, actor Channing Tatum stated that he asked the creative team to kill off his character, Duke, to avoid being committed to the G.I. Joe Live Action Movie Franchise.
“Look, I’ll be honest. I fucking hate [G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra]. I hate that movie,” Tatum previously told Howard Stern about the first “G.I. Joe” film. “I was pushed into doing that movie. From ‘Coach Carter,’ they signed me to a three-picture deal…They give you the contract and they go, ‘Three-picture deal, here you go.’ And as a young [actor], you’re like, ‘Oh my god, that sounds amazing, I’m doing that!’ Time goes by and you get other jobs and you’re building your quote and you have a dream job you want to do. And … the studio calls up and they’re like, ‘Hey, we got a movie for you, we’re going to send it to you.’ And they send it to you, and it’s G.I. Joe.”
Tatum continued, “And I love G.I. Joe: ‘Can I play Snake Eyes?’ And they’re like, ‘No, you’re not playing Snake Eyes, you’re playing G.I. Joe.’ The script wasn’t any good… And I didn’t want to do something that I… was a fan of since I was a kid and watched every morning growing up — and didn’t want to do something that was, one, bad and, two, I just didn’t know if I wanted to be G.I. Joe.”
*****
“The first one I passed on seven times, but they had an option on me and I had to do the movie,” Tatum said. “So the second one, I obviously just didn’t want to do that one either.”
Tatum confirmed he asked to be killed off in the first 10 minutes of the sequel, 2013’s “G.I. Joe: Retaliation,” to avoid any further commitment to the franchise. Did he regret that decision? “No,” he said bluntly.
Toy giant Hasbro has authorized the sales process of segments of eOne (Entertainment One) which does not directly support the company’s Branded Entertainment strategy.
Hasbro will maintain the capability to develop and produce animation, digital shorts, scripted TV and theatrical films for audiences related to core Hasbro IP.
“In support of its recently announced Blueprint 2.0 strategy, Hasbro plans to significantly increase strategic investment in key brands, with a focus on gaming, direct to consumer, Franchise Brands and licensing. Priority brands for investment include PEPPA PIG, TRANSFORMERS, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, MAGIC: THE GATHERING, MY LITTLE PONY, POWER RANGERS, PLAY-DOH and Hasbro’s iconic portfolio of board games including MONOPOLY and CLUE. The Company plans to maintain significant development, production and financing capabilities to support its core brands across film, TV, animation and digital shorts. These projects will span Hasbro’s beloved brands and will also include the development of new IP such as the recently announced Kiya and the Kimoja Heroes that is scheduled to premiere on Disney Junior and Disney+ in 2023.”
Elaborating further, Hasbro CEO Chris Cocks stated the following:
“As we execute Blueprint 2.0 with a focus on strategic investment in key franchise brands like D&D, Peppa Pig and Transformers, we plan to expand our entertainment offerings across scripted TV, digital shorts, and blockbuster films. We look forward to delighting audiences of all ages as we focus on delivering truly market-leading Hasbro-IP related entertainment.”
The process aims to maximize the value of this significant business for Hasbro and its shareholders. There can be no assurance that the process will result in a sale. The Company anticipates that the process will take several months. In the interim, Hasbro’s entertainment team will continue to operate under the eOne production mark. Hasbro does not intend to make any additional comments regarding this process unless and until a transaction is entered into or the process is terminated.
Hasbro is currently hosting its 2022 Investor Day.
During their 2nd panel for Entertainment, Hasbro just revealed that they are continuing with the contract with Paramount Pictures for Live Action Entertainment.
But only for Transformers and G.I. Joe properties.
Other brands will fall under eOne‘s control at the end of the current 5-Year contract with Paramount. eOne is a Hasbro-owned subsidiary.
We hope to hear more during the coming months.