Danny McBride Officially Directing New ‘G.I. Joe’ Movie with Personal Touch

Paramount has been on a quest for years to successfully revive ‘G.I. Joe’ on the big screen, facing a series of disappointing box office outcomes and a franchise that struggled to regain its footing since the early 2010s. It seems the studio has finally found a filmmaker who has a genuine passion for the property, rather than someone merely assigned to another comic book adaptation.

That filmmaker is Danny McBride, the acclaimed comedy actor and writer known for creating ‘Eastbound and Down’ and ‘The Righteous Gemstones’. As reported by TheWrap, McBride has officially signed on to both write and direct the upcoming ‘G.I. Joe’ movie for Paramount, marking his feature directing debut after years of directing episodes of his own television series.

McBride’s connection to the franchise is more profound than that of many directors brought onto major studio intellectual properties. During an appearance on Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused podcast, he shared how personal this project is for him, revealing that the toy line and cartoon were significant parts of his childhood, even more so than other pop culture phenomena.

“It was definitely the cartoons and the comics. G.I. Joe was my thing when I was a kid. I liked that more than Star Wars, more than anything,” McBride told TheWrap, adding that he still possesses his entire childhood collection of figures.

The journey to this project began elsewhere. McBride initially pitched Paramount an idea focused on the Dreadnoks, the unruly group of mercenaries and thieves who often work for Cobra in the comics. However, the studio advised him that the larger franchise required a proper relaunch first, prompting him to collaborate with ‘Righteous Gemstones’ partners Jeff Fradley and John Carcieri to create something more expansive.

What they ultimately developed is a script that McBride describes as a significant tonal shift from his typical comedic style. “It’s not a comedy. It’s kind of suspense and action, and yeah, I think it’s going to be a lot of fun,” he stated, emphasizing the intention to ground the material rather than turn it into a parody. The completed script follows Duke leading a team of classic Joes, drawing heavily from Larry Hama’s acclaimed Marvel comic run instead of the more sci-fi oriented tone of previous films.

The story itself is rooted in deep franchise lore. McBride confirmed that the narrative takes place in Springfield, a fictional, seemingly ordinary American town from the comics that is secretly inhabited entirely by undercover Cobra operatives. This setting provides a paranoid, small-town thriller atmosphere, contrasting with the globe-trotting action of earlier installments.

Casting has already begun, although McBride has kept most details under wraps for the time being. “We have some pretty interesting people lining up to be in it, too. I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but it looks to be like it’s going to be pretty fun,” he teased, leaving fans to speculate about who might eventually join the roster of Joes.

The stakes for getting this reboot right are high, considering the franchise’s tumultuous recent history. The original 2009 film, ‘G.I. Joe, The Rise of Cobra’, earned $302 million worldwide but fell short of studio expectations, while 2021’s ‘Snake Eyes, G.I. Joe Origins’ performed poorly, grossing just $40 million globally against a budget estimated between $88 and $110 million. McBride’s vision is reportedly a top priority for Paramount CEO David Ellison, with the studio aiming for a theatrical release before its planned ‘Call of Duty’ adaptation.

With the script completed and Paramount fully backing the project, McBride is now targeting a filming window in 2027, suggesting that a live-action theatrical release could be two to three years away. Given the passion McBride has clearly invested in crafting this version of the story, fans finally have a genuine reason to believe that ‘G.I. Joe’ might receive the grounded, comic-accurate treatment it has been lacking for over a decade.

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