Yo, Joe! Danny McBride To Write And Direct G.I. Joe Movie

By Chris Snellgrove
| Published 3 seconds ago

While the ‘80s were full of iconic children’s franchises, only a handful have successfully reinvented themselves for modern audiences. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Transformers, and even Ghostbusters have received multiple successful revivals, but several other franchises (like He-Man, judging by the poor box office for Masters of the Universe) still primarily appeal to middle-aged men. This includes G.I. Joe, a ‘60s IP that was transformed into the ultimate toyline for ‘80s kids. With comics, cartoons, video games, and more, G.I. Joe was everywhere. But after three different middling live-action movies failed to impress audiences, it seemed like the brand was effectively dead.

In recent years, however, G.I. Joe has gotten a real shot in the arm. Skybound has released awesome comics set in a brand-new Energon Universe, all while allowing original Marvel scribe Larry Hama to continue his own long-running story in its own timeline. After Transformers: Rise of the Beasts teased the return of the Joes, it was just a matter of time before they hit the big screen again. Now, it’s official. Paramount is working on a new film featuring America’s favorite fighting force, and they finally decided who they want to revive the franchise: Danny McBride will write and direct the G.I. Joe movie. 

Fourth Time’s The Charm

Danny McBride’s involvement in this project isn’t all that surprising to those who have been keeping track of it. Paramount has been working on their untitled G.I. Joe film for a while now, and McBride was one of the creators working on the script. The studio also hired controversial writer Max Landis to write a draft, essentially forcing him and McBride to compete with one another. Now, it’s fair to say that McBride won that competition: not only will he be writing the G.I. Joe film, but this movie will also be his directorial debut.

Beyond the fact that McBride will write and direct the movie, very little is known about the upcoming G.I. Joe movie. Ahead of their merger with Warner Bros., Paramount has been focusing on important legacy IPs, including Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Star Trek, and even Top Gun. Done well, a G.I. Joe movie has the potential to appeal to old-school fans and younger audiences looking to discover a new favorite. However, it’s a fairly big gamble: the last G.I. Joe film was 2021’s Snake Eyes, which angered hardcore fans while barely drawing any attention from mainstream audiences. 

And Knowing Is Half The Battle

Given that McBride is best known as a comedic actor and writer, it sounds like Paramount wants to create a tongue-in-cheek homage to G.I. Joe that still respects these characters and their universe (like Travis Knight did with Masters of the Universe). The studio obviously wants to drive more subscribers to Paramount+, and if the Joe movie is successful, it could lead to spinoff films and even TV series. At the very least, the movie should have some momentum behind it, as it will likely hit theaters after the premiere of the upcoming Transformers/G.I. Joe crossover cartoon.

Danny McBride may seem like an odd choice to direct G.I. Joe, but he certainly has a passion for the brand. After all, who can forget when he played himself in This Is The End and took demented glee in making Channing Tatum (star of the original G.I. Joe film) into his love slave? In all seriousness, McBride is a very gifted writer, one whose quirky sense of humor will hopefully help him craft a great story. Only time will tell if that translates to box office success, though. After all, when it comes to Hollywood, great writing is only half the battle!