Back in November 2015, Hasbro Studios decided to take the samewriter’s roommodel that generated several ideas for theTransformersfranchise, to create a new writers room that will formulate ideas for theG.I. JoeandMicronautsfranchises.Akiva Goldsman, who lead theTransformerswriters room, will supervise these new writers rooms, and while it isn’t clear yet who is coming aboard to help shape these new franchises, Hasbro Studios headStephen DavisandSimon Waters, who oversees consumer products for Hasbro Studios, shed some light on their approach in a new interview. It seems the studio is targeting the millennial generation, teasing a lot of changes for the franchise.
The Los Angeles Timescaught up withStephen DavisandSimon Waters, who made it clear that they want to create a movie universe on par with Marvel Studios using all of these franchises. Back in January, directorD.J. Carusoteased that when he was attached to directG.I. Joe 3, he wanted to have the sequel crossover with theTransformers. The director revealed that, at the end of the script he was developing forG.I. Joe 3, both theG.I. JoeandTransformersworlds collided, but Hasbro told him at the time that they weren’t ready for that yet. When asked about their plans for theG.I. Joefranchise,Simon Watersdidn’t mention aTransformerscrossover, but he did hint that the franchise would undergo a “millennial” overhaul, of sorts.
“(We want to take) a more millennial approach. The world has changed, and I think you’re going to see G.I. Joe changing with it. There’s going to be a much more contemporary approach to the whole franchise, and that will allow us to develop different characters.”
Simon Waterswouldn’t elaborate on what this “millennial approach” may be, but it’s clear that Hasbro wants to reach a younger audience, while still keeping the established fan base intact. This project is reportedly in the “writing phase,” but Hasbro wouldn’t offer any specifics, nor reveal who is writing thisG.I. Joereboot. A few months before Hasbro announced theirG.I. Joewriters room,Aaron Berg, who wrote the Black List scriptSection 6, was hired to write the script forG.I. Joe 3, but it isn’t clear if is script is being revamped, or if he is part of this writers room. Here’s whatStephen Davishad to say about what they want to accomplish with thisG.I. Joe reboot.
“We hope to create a head snap. It’s a different kind of Joe, one that still resonates with Joe fans but brings in an uninitiated audience and expands the audience internationally and domestically.”
The big screen franchise started in 2009 with the action-thrillerG.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra, which earned $150.2 million domestically and $302.4 million worldwide, from a massive $175 million budget. The 2013 follow-upG.I. Joe Retaliation, which broughtDwayne JohnsonandBruce Willisinto the fold, fared worse domestically ($122.5 million), but better internationally for a worldwide total of $375.7 million, from a pared-down $130 million budget. It isn’t clear ifDwayne Johnsonor the rest of the cast fromG.I. Joe Retaliationwill return forG.I. Joe 3, but it seems clear this will be a much different movie than fans have seen in the past.
