Some genre fans may find it hard to believe, but the early reports that John Chu has been brought on to direct the sequel to “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra” appear to be true.
After sitting through the pain of Stephen Sommers first “G.I. Joe” film, it was expected Paramount Pictures and Hasbro would find a filmmaker with more of a vision to pull off what fans were hoping for when the iconic toy series hit the big screen. Instead, Sommers will be replaced by a director whose only major credits are “Step Up 3D,” “Step Up 2: The Streets” and “Justin Bieber Never Say Never.” According to Heat Vision, Chu won the gig over the more experienced F. Gary Gray who has helmed “Law Abiding Citizen,” “The Italian Job” and “Set It Off” among others.
Paramount is no doubt rewarding Chu for his economic success with “Never Say Never” (the doc cost only $13 million to produce and has grossed over $56 million so far), but this is hardly a choice to make moviegoers feel the franchise is going in a different, better direction.
In the meantime, Heat Vision also reports that while Channing Tatum is expected to return as Duke, Sienna Miller and Joseph Gordon-Levitt may not reprise their roles as the Baroness and Cobra Commander respectively for a variety of reasons.
No word on how quickly a “G.I. Joe” sequel can get off the ground, but it’s believed Paramount is hoping for a 2012 release.