Sometimes, it feels like I’m the only person who saw the G.I. Joe movies, let alone enjoyed them. Despite the latest having been released in 2021, hardly anyone seems to discuss them. Hopefully, that will all change if Transformers producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura gets his way. The film producer recently spoke about the franchises during a recent interview with One Take News.
TRANSFORMERS PRODUCER TEASES POTENTIAL G.I. JOE MOVIE CROSSOVER
Since the live-action G.I. Joe franchise launched in 2009, there have been three installments in the series:
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G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009):
Directed by Stephen Sommers, this was the first live-action film in the G.I. Joe series. The movie introduces the elite military team, G.I. Joe, who are tasked with stopping the nefarious organization known as Cobra from unleashing a devastating weapon called the “Nanomite Warheads.” The film stars Channing Tatum as Duke, Sienna Miller as The Baroness, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Cobra Commander. Despite receiving mixed reviews from critics, the film performed reasonably well at the box office, leading to a sequel.
G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013):
Directed by Jon M. Chu, the second installment in the series features Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as Roadblock and Bruce Willis as General Joseph Colton. The plot follows the G.I. Joe team as they face internal and external threats after being framed for treason by Zartan, who has assumed the identity of the U.S. President. The film overall did better at the box office, making $375 million worldwide compared to $302 million worldwide for its predecessor, though it made less domestically with $122 million compared to $150 million for the first film.
Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins (2021):
This movie serves as a spin-off and a reboot of the G.I. Joe film series, focusing on the origin story of one of the franchise’s most iconic characters, Snake Eyes. Directed by Robert Schwentke, the film stars Henry Golding as Snake Eyes, exploring his journey from a troubled loner seeking revenge for his father’s death to becoming a member of the Arashikage Clan, a secretive ninja organization. The film delves into the background of the character and provides insights into the G.I. Joe Universe. The film was a total bomb at the box office and did poorly with critics.
In a discussion with One Take News, Di Bonaventura explained his belief that the Joes and the Transformers already co-exist in the same universe:
“I don’t look at things like a universe, I look at them as a story and [the Joes] will be a part of the story. I also think the term “crossover” means different things for different people. For me, the Joes, whoever they are, are entering the world of Transformers, not combining the two worlds. The plan is to eventually do [a crossover]. But, for the next movie, it’s the Joes that are coming in for whatever the ending of Rise of the Beasts has led us to believe is possible.”
Plans for the interaction of these big Hasbro franchises have been years in the making, so it’s exciting for fans of both franchises to finally get word of a crossover. But we can’t get too excited too soon. Di Bonaventura has been very clear the idea is still at the concept stage and isn’t being developed yet. He continued during his One Take News interview:
“We haven’t developed a script yet though. What I will say is just like we do with every other movie, [the sequel to Rise of the Beasts] will be a team of Transformers and humans fighting the fight. The Joes will be a part of that.”
With the SAG-AFTRA and Writers Guild of America (WGA) strikes against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) still in full force, it could be a while before we see exactly how the Joes will fit into the Transformers movie universe. But it’s potentially an exciting time for Hasbro fans!
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is currently playing in theaters and is currently available on digital Video on Demand. It will hit DVD and Blu-ray on October 10.
Do you agree with Lorenzo Di Bonaventura that the concept of Transformers and G.I. Joe “universes” isn’t necessary here and everyone can co-exist? Or would you prefer a universes collide type of story like we’ve seen Spider-Man do so successfully of late?
SOURCE: One Take News
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