Both based on toys and animated series, Paramount’s “G.I. Joe” series has never been the blockbuster that “Transformers” were in their heyday. For years, Paramount toyed with the idea of making a film that would unite the two franchises, but it wasn’t until a post-credit scene in “Transformers: Rise of The Beasts” (2023). which teased a potential unification that this crossover seemed feasible. Now it’s official. Today at Cinema-Con, during Paramount’s film presentation, which revealed lots of little bits of news, the studio announced an untitled “G.I. Joe” and “Transformers” film is in the works.
Steven Spielberg is still an executive producer, but no filmmaker is attached. The idea was first hatched by Steven Caple. Jr., the director of ‘Rise of the Beasts.’ “Transformers” producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura is returning along with Mark Vahradian, Michael Bay, Tom DeSanto & Don Murphy, but otherwise, not much else is known.
“G.I. Joe” recently rebooted itself with the “Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins” movie. But released in 2021, in the summer of the pandemic, the movie tanked hard at the box office, only grossing $40.1 million worldwide, so clearly, one of these franchises is more in need of the other one. Even at its best, no “G.I. Joe” Paramount movie ever grossed more than $375 million at the global box office. With those dismal ‘Snake Eyes‘ numbers making for a non-starter, it would not surprise if Paramount rebooted the franchise again, starting anew alongside the more robust “Transformers” series.
The news was the highlight of many announcements Paramount made during their panel. Other notable films announced included a new prison film from director Damien Chazelle (“Babylon”), a new “Star Trek” film coming in 2025, though which one, given two are in development is unclear, the Bee Gees biopic coming back to life with director Ridley Scott (which was announced earlier this year), “The Last Ronin,” an R-rated “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” movie, a reboot of the “Scary Movie” franchise, the Liam Neeson “Naked Gun” reboot coming out next year, and a new untitled movie from “South Park” creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker dated for July 4, 2025. – Additional reporting by Gregory Ellwood.
