Joe is a go.
Paramount‘s next G.I. Joe movie has landed a release date of Oct. 20, 2028, the studio announced Friday. Danny McBride is directing the movie and is writing the script with Jeff Fradley and John Carcieri.
Bradley Cooper is starring in the project as Duke, with the film described as a reimagining of the franchise. Joe has been popular for decades as a toy brand and thanks to 1980s cartoons, but never found its footing on the big screen. The hope is that this version from McBride, known for his singular voice on shows like East Bound and Down and Righteous Gemstones as well as the recent Halloween movies, can do the trick.
The most recent entry was Snake Eyes, which faltered amid the pandemic recovery 2021 with just $40 million, and also includes G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009) and G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013) — both moderate moneymakers but critical duds.
Longtime G.I. Joe producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura produces with Mark Vahradian and Zev Foreman for Hasbro Entertainment, which has a number of films and TV shows in the works with noteworthy talent, including Craig Mazin on the Baldur’s Gate 3 TV show and Tony filmmaker Matt Johnson on the Magic: The Gathering movie. The strategy is to pick creatives that can bring fresh eyes to the material and elevate it, with Hasbro willing to wait for the right talent rather than rushing to get projects made.
In other release date moves, Paramount has shifted its upcoming Paranormal Activity reboot back several months to Halloween season next year. It will open Oct. 22, 2027 (back from May 21, 2027).
It hails from director Ian Tuason, who broke out with the indie Undertone, which grossed $21 million globally on a $500,00 budget. Chase Yi, Sonia Mena and Maya Da Costa star in the feature, which counts Blumhouse Atomic’s James Wan and Jason Blum as producers. The franchise has grossed more than $900 million globally, with the first Paranormal Activity helping popularize the found footage genre and grossing $194 million worldwide.
