ROTTEN TOMATOES: Maybe Stephen Sommers Isn't Directing G.I. Joe After All

Maybe Stephen Sommers Isn't Directing G.I. Joe After All

And by the way, that "G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero" stuff? So '80s.

by Jeff Giles | August 15, 2007

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Well, that was fast: Just days after being tipped as the director of Paramount's G.I. Joe movie, IGN Movies is reporting (via IESB) that Stephen Sommers may already have left the project over a salary disagreement. And as the rest of the article makes clear, change seems to be the name of the game with this movie -- as in change from the cartoons, comic books, and toys that G.I. Joe fans are familiar with.

For starters, as other outlets have previously reported, Joe producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura is eager to spruce up the film's worldwide marketing appeal by including the action figure's British version, Action Man. According to the latest reports, Jason Statham is being pursued for the role; if this pans out, Statham could be reunited with his Italian Job co-star Mark Wahlberg, who has talked with the film's producers about playing the American team leader, Duke.

So it's a buddy picture? Well, not quite. According to the IESB report:

The new GI Joe/Action Man team is expected to be made up of various individuals from around the world and will not be exclusively American or British. The characters will still be based from the original cartoons, toys and comics but with a globe-trotting flavor.

Okay, but will they have a kung fu grip?

Source: IGN Movies
Source: IESB.net

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(1-8 of 8 posts) | Reply

sorednax writes:
on Aug 15 2007 05:14 AM

So, Cobra Commander and Destro must face Marky Mark and some lame-duck called "Action-Man." The name sounds more porno than child friendly.

And to think Transformers got my hopes up.

I hope this isn't true. Otherwise, I am hiding my childhood in a safe place so they can't crap all over it.

(Reply to this)

robby85 writes:
on Aug 15 2007 06:06 AM

I think Stephen Sommers is an abysmal director, It would have been a terrible idea to hire him for this project.

(Reply to this)

Sputnik99 writes:
on Aug 15 2007 10:58 AM

This is what happens when people who have no knowledge of an established storyline attempt to "make it better."

Transformers worked (no debates please) because it stuck to the basic characters and story. If Bay and Spielberg had made something completely new up, it would have been a 100% catastrophe, instead of just something for a few cranky people to gripe about.

If Bonaventura plans to make up his own little G.I. Joe world, he is writing his own death sentence.

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MarkusCominToGETCHA writes:
on Aug 15 2007 11:16 AM

SOUNDS AWESOME. CAN'T WAIT FOR JOE!
TONY JAA AND CLIVE OWEN SHOULD BE CAST AS WELL TO ADD SOME MORE INT'L FLAVOR

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Bob* writes:
on Aug 15 2007 11:33 AM

I have read in wikipedia that Sommers will direct "Prince of Persia". Even IMDB.COM removed Michael Bay from it. Wonder if that's true.

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Rockslide writes:
on Aug 15 2007 04:16 PM

G.I. Joe is supposed to be a real American hero, c'mon. It doesn't need to be "made better," make it as is. An elite American team vs. the Cobra terrorist unit. No one wants to see Duke, Action Man, and Frenchie Frenchman running around in the middle east shooting Al-Qaeda operatives. I want to see 80's G.I. JOE: Duke, Roadblock, Snake Eyes, Dusty, Beachhead, etc. kicking the trash out of Cobra Commander, Destro, the Baroness, Dr. Mindbender, and Storm Shadow. (Also Xamot and Tomax...and maybe Zartan...Tunnel Rat...okay I'll shut up now.)

-And I loved Transformers, that was 80's nostalgia done right.

(Reply to this)

The_Rorschach writes:
on Aug 16 2007 07:43 AM

Don't you dare leave you Shipwreck. . .YO JOE

(Reply to this)

nathanpoitras writes:
on Aug 16 2007 09:24 AM

After Van Helsing, Sommers should only be allowed to direct traffic.

(Reply to this)