Update: Confirmed. Danny McBride says his finished G.I. Joe script follows Duke and the classic Joes, is set in the comics’ secret Cobra town of Springfield, and is played straight — suspense and action, not comedy — exactly the traditional take our sources described. Read McBride’s full comments here.
Paramount is pushing its new G.I. Joe plan in a very specific direction.
After Deadline confirmed two separate G.I. Joe movies in early development, a source tells me Paramount wants one of these projects to feel like a throwback — an “80s style action film” that stays true to the spirit of the animated series.
“80s Style Action,” True To The Animated Series
Here’s what my source told me: “Yeah, that project’s gonna be cool. Paramount wants a throwback, 80s style action film, true to the spirit of the animated series. Still talking to directors.”
Paramount Is Still Talking To Directors
The key detail is that Paramount is still in director talks, which suggests the tone is being locked in first. If they’re chasing a throwback vibe, the director choice matters as much as the script.
This also hints that Paramount wants a clean, crowd-friendly lane for G.I. Joe instead of another sideways reinvention.
How This Fits The Bigger Paramount Strategy
This lines up with what we already reported about the Ellisons leaning into recognizable IP and old-school heroic storytelling.
A G.I. Joe movie that plays like an 80s action throwback isn’t subtle.
It’s Paramount signaling what kind of franchise movies it wants to make, and what kind of audience it’s trying to pull back into theaters.
