Max Landis has been tapped to write a “G.I. Joe” treatment based on the Hasbro franchise for Paramount Pictures, TheWrap has learned. He lands the job seven years after being involved in a #MeToo scandal.
The project will be a whole new continuity based, of course, on the G.I. Joe toy line. Danny McBride is in talks to write a treatment as well.
The “G.I. Joe” franchise is a high priority for Paramount CEO David Ellison, who wants the film out before the company’s video game adaptation of “Call of Duty,” which has Taylor Sheridan attached to write.
Paramount’s first live-action attempt at “G.I. Joe” was 2009’s “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra,” directed by Stephen Sommers. It grossed $302 million against a $175 million budget, but came amidst the rise of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Paramount wanted to go higher.
Then came the Jon M. Chu-directed “G.I. Joe: Retaliation” in 2013, which starred Dwayne Johnson and attempted to soft-reboot the franchise. It grossed $376 million, but further installments stalled until 2021’s “Snake Eyes” origin film, which floundered with $40 million in the midst of the pandemic.
The “G.I. Joe” IP has gone through a resurgence in recent years with publisher Skybound breathing new life into the comic books with a run overseen by “Walking Dead” creator Robert Kirkman.
In a Daily Beast article published in 2019, Landis, who is the son of director John Landis, was accused by several women of of sexual assault, abuse and on-set harassment.
A woman identified as Julie told The Daily Beast that Landis repeatedly raped her during their two-year personal relationship. Further, three of Landis’s ex-girlfriends — Ani Baker, Dani Manning and a woman identified by the pseudonym Kerry — said Landis had physically and emotionally abused them, including choking them. A woman identified as Veronica further stated Landis touched her in an unwanted sexual manner repeatedly during an overnight trip to Disneyland. Another woman said she witnessed Landis raping her disoriented friend.
The Hollywood Reporter first reported the news.
