Jon M. Chu Chosen To Direct G.I. Joe 2

Deadline reports that Paramount Pictures has decided on a director for G.I. Joe: Revenge of Cobra. It's Jon M. Chu who is best known for the Step Up series and the Justin Bieber documentary Never Say Never. It's an odd choice but seems like the studio wants to keep the project in check. Hiring a lesser known name could allow them to have more control over the production and not let it slip into the bizarre zone like Sommer's film did. I don't think this is a terrible choice but it will be met with some skepticism until we get a trailer. He hasn't finalized a deal with the studio but is the frontrunner at the moment and has been told by Paramount as such.

Chu recently spoke to MTV on his thoughts of directing a G.I. Joe sequel before this news broke. It sounds like he is an actual fan growing up with the original cartoon and believes there is still a movie to be told for "real" fans of the franchise. I believe Chu is from my generation it's a big bonus for fans as he could take the film to places a non-fan couldn't.


"'Joe' is something I've loved since I was a kid," he told us. "I still think there's a movie out there that can be done for the real 'Joe' fans, the one we've been waiting for that hasn't been done before."


"My era was 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,' 'G.I. Joe' and 'Transformers,'" he continued. "When 'Joe' changed their theme song from the old style—'Go Joe!'—to 'Got to get tough, go Joe!' That was the era I was in. Those are the fun, glory years that I remember."

While there is a script in place by the interesting writing duo of Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese (Zombieland, Deadpool, Venom) they haven't signed anyone to reprise their roles. Paramount is first going after Channing Tatum to return as Duke but don't expect everyone to come back. I assume actors like Sienna Miller, Joesph Gordon-Levitt, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje and Rachel Nichols could need some convincing as they have other projects to consider.