"G.I. Joe" animated series - live action blockbuster? (1 Viewer)

[Michael Allred]

I grew up with the animated series "G.I. Joe". Owned most of the toys, comics...I went nuts over it.
With it's HUGE cast of characters, vehicle/weapons, etc etc....this has a huge potential for BLOCKBUSTER! Releasing a live action flick while relaunching the action figures and cartoons + a whole wad of merchandising....money money money to be made. Why hasn't it been done yet? Especially in light of recent world events, a patriotic movie about an elite anti-terrorism fighting force would jack everybody up!
I always liked thinking of a trilogy. First film sets everything up and introduces a select number of characters from the Joes and Cobra. At the end of #1, hint at the creation of Serpentor. Part 2 focuses on his creation while bringing forward other Joe members to the main storyline. Part 3 is the final worldwide battle.
Casting would be an all-star line up. Cast takes a pay cut in favor of backend deals, merchandising profits, etc.
G.I. Joe;
General Hawk - Ed Harris
Duke - Kurt Russell
Flint - George Clooney
Lt. Falcon - Mark Wahlberg
Lady Jaye - Demi Moore
Scarlet - Julianne Moore
Snake eyes - Ray Park
Roadblock - Ving Rhames
Shipwreck - Bruce Willis
Sgt. Slaughter - an unknown, perhaps a pro wrestler? (no, not the real Sgt. Slaughter, he's far too old now.)
Cobra;
Cobra Commander - Tim Roth
Destro - Michael Dorn (Worf from "star trek")
Baroness - Angelina Jolie
Zartan - Michael Wincott
Zamot and Tomax (not sure if the spelling is right on their names...the twins who often finished each other's sentences) - Pierce Brosnan in a dual role
Serpentor - some unknown actor who's over the top.
Stormshadow -Jet Li
Dr. Mindbender - Patrick Stewart
Imagine Snake-eyes vs. Stormshadow! Ray Park against Jet Li??? Awesome stuff!
and yes I've been thinking about this for a while now.

 

[Luis A]

Michael, while I didn't really go nuts over G.I. Joe, I did watch the cartoon now and then, I'am familiar with the characters. I think you are right on with characters and cast ( Ray Park vs Jet Li if done right could be spectacular) and I can only hope for this to happen.
Of course you know if a live action film is made of G.I.Joe there will have to be a Transformers live action movie somewhere down the road. CGI Transformers with live actors?
Great Idea Michael.
L

 

[Mike Miskulin]

Yep,
I was thinking the same thing just this weekend as well (great minds think alike, ya know ). With all the cool CG imagery, just imagine all those billions (trillions?) of taxpayer dollars being blown up in some truly grandiose battles! There would also be some pretty cool Cobra designs and imagine a nice sweeping camera pan over the Cobra fortress. All of it fully realized in CGI! It would really have to be over the top, and hopefully not too cheesey.
A few things, though. Please, no Serpentor. The play between Destro and Cobra Commander is great as is, I can live without Serpentor. I remember reading of a planned storyline that never made it into the old series concerning a massive manhunt for the "most dangerous man in the world." Apparently, Cobra is strangely quiet for an extended period of time, and eventually the Joes learn that Cobra is gathering all their manpower to capture one person. The Joes then believe that if Cobra wants this man he must be pretty damn important, so they send out their own task force. It turns out that the guy they're all after is the one who's ideas were the foundation for Cobra. Sorta a man with the master plan. I always thought that would be a cool idea if ever filmed and could fit in nicely with a trilogy type thang.
I think Pierce Brosnan as Tomax/Xamot would be excellent, but I'd love to see Gary Oldman as Cobra Commander. With his always intense performances, he'd be a great maniacal leader. Arnold Vosloo (Imhotep of The Mummy fame) would make an excellent Destro. Spay paint his melon silver and he's all set. And let's not forget: Ving Rhames is Roadblock. Man, this'd be awesome!
mike.

 

[Joel C]

I remember reading in the back of G.I. Joe comics that a film was in the works, but all that ever came of it were those stupid live-action toy commercials.

 

[Michael Allred]

Mike, while Cobra Commander was very evil, he was also a HUGE coward. This is why Tim Roth works better....he can be so sniveling!
And Vosloo as Destro? Um, unless they alter his voice or cast someone else to record the voice, he wouldn't fit. Destro had a DEEP voice, something Michael Dorn has as well as a much more imposing figure than Arnold.
I was thinking Serpentor as a plot point since I was discussing a trilogy and his creation and elevation would be the fuel for parts 2 and 3.
My casting choices weren't just for cool factor. I tried to blend a physical look with personality characteristics. Brosnan as the evil twins (who are the business front for Cobra) is a masterstroke. Brosnan was fantastic as a shady agent in "Tailor of Panama".
My only choice that I'm wishy-washy on is Patrick Stewart for Dr. Mindbender. He has the bald, intelligent thing down but his overall "evil" factor is very low.
BTW, someone once suggested Arnold Schwarznegger (I can never spell his last name right!) as Serpentor. I *would* have agreed but after his disasterous role as a villain in "Batman & Robin", I'd have to say no.

 

[paul_v]

Only thing that bugged me about GI Joe when I was a kid is that noone ever died. Whenever a plane exploded the pilots always seemed to hit the ejection cable on time. The cartoonists must have thought kids where dumb or something.

 

[Lance_R]

Destro = Vin Diesel, perfect voice and attitude.

I think early Joe would be better, pre hooded cobra camander and no Serpentor or Sgt Slaughter

I was also a HUGE Joe fan.

 

[Brad_W]

I would love to see a live action G.I. Joe movie, but would love a semi-live action/semi-CGI TRANSFORMERS MOVIE so much more!!

 

[Dome Vongvises]

As much as I would love to see this happen, the logistics just don't work in favor of this. If only actors could set aside their egos.....

 

[CoreyII]

Hey you Joe fans, since you people are craving Joe stuff, Darkhorse comics is currently issuing a four issue limited series G.I.Joe comic book. I have the first two issues and issue three should be out pretty soon.

So far the book has been excellent, there is a strong storyline plus some very interesting backstories with alot of your favorite characters. The artwork is great. The comic more or less picks up where the Marvel series left off, alot of the characters have been out of action because Cobra hasn't been a threat for the last few years, of course that all changed within the first issue.

Anyway, it may not be a movie but it will sure satisfiy your craving for Joe action. Grab the books as soon as you can because they've been selling out at many comic book stores.

Darkhorse already released 2nd printings of the first issue.

 

[Michael Allred]

Looks like we could see a "Joe" movie...
http://www.cinescape.com/0/editorial...8&obj_id=38408
Sounds hopeful, maybe Spielberg could direct?

 

[Steve_Tk]

While I enjoyed the toys as a kid, I wouldn't enjoy a movie based on it. I just don't think you can make a war movie, with laser guns and live actors running around yelling "Go JOE!!!"

Seems silly, and wouldn't do good in the box office. Now you could change those things, take away laser guns and yelling, the campy music and make it rated PG-13+, but then it wouldn't even be GI JOE anymore, so why waste your time. By that time all the changes would make it seem like it wasn't even a GI based movie anymore. Seems like this would never happen, but I am always surprised at some of the crap New Line puts out there. (and to think LOTR came from the same studio that puts out a lot of junk)

Sorry to thread fart.

 

[Greg_S_H]

Never mind the cartoon. Base it on the comics, and cut the fat that Larry Hama had to deal with (ie, being forced to fit in new toys all the time).

Cobra Commander was not such a coward in the comics, and they could work in the story about his son Billy to humanize him. Destro would be the perfect foil for him, though you could probably work in the Baroness and Major Bludd. But, probably just keep it CC and Destro.

On the Joes side, obviously you'd tend to focus on Snake-Eyes and Storm Shadow, plus Scarlett. That should be the meat of the story--what Luke, Leia and Han are up to, if you will--with the overarching story of the Joes as counter-terrorists to whatever Cobra has in mind.

Problem is, even the comics have some stuff that could be silly if translated to the screen. But, I wouldn't want them to change it too much. If it became super-realistic, it'd be Rainbow Six with Joe characters. They'd have to find a balance.

Oh, and we need to see the Pit. If it's a trilogy, they could have it infiltrated and destroyed like in the comics.

This all sounds like a pretty good video game, actually. Come to think of it, I believe someone is/was making something like that for Soldier of Fortune 2. Hate to say, but those projects don't usually turn out all that well if they turn out at all.

 

[Andy Sheets]

Only thing that bugged me about GI Joe when I was a kid is that noone ever died. Whenever a plane exploded the pilots always seemed to hit the ejection cable on time. The cartoonists must have thought kids where dumb or something.

Heh, my exact feeling as well. You've got elite soldiers battling this high tech terrorist organization and no one dies? Ever? As a kid I remember getting so angry when I saw that
OTOH, the comics (Marvel's currently reprinting them) really were kind of nasty sometimes. Wasn't there this one issue they did in which Quick Kick and a few of the other Joes got captured by Cobra, put into a POW camp, and after a last ditch escape attempt were all slaughtered? A far cry from the patronizing tv show

 

[Shane D]

im surprised no one has mentioned the new joe series that devil's due is putting out thru image comics. its based in the present, after g.i. joe was disbanded for what, 15 years? and its pretty good. when i stopped readign a few months ago they were like at issue 12, REALLY GOOD stuff.

 

[Terry St]

That cast is good. Too good. Even if you could get all of their busy schedules to mesh it would still require a massive budget just for payroll. Classic comic book hero's like Superman, Spiderman, Batman, and the X-Men have been able to get big budgets, but would a franchise far better known for its action figures command the same ammount of moolah?

Personally, I'd far rather see that cash go into a good animated feature, faithful to the comics. G.I. Joe done similar to a high-end anime flick or even Titan A.E. would rock, especially with a good soundtrack. Of course, animation means PG-13 in the U.S. it seems. I'm pretty sure some of those GI-Joe comics we were reading as 10-year-olds would not have qualified for a PG-13 rating!

 

[Michael Allred]

That cast is good. Too good. Even if you could get all of their busy schedules to mesh it would still require a massive budget just for payroll. Classic comic book hero's like Superman, Spiderman, Batman, and the X-Men have been able to get big budgets, but would a franchise far better known for its action figures command the same ammount of moolah?

Like I said, get creative with the budgets – lower their actual salaries but cut them in on the likely huge numbers for merchandising (toys, comics, video games, etc.) Besides that, they all wouldn't be in the same movie. Say the first one could focus on a certain number, the 2nd would carry over the main characters (Duke, Cobra Commander, etc) while focusing on others.

Some producer has gotta be thinking "An elite American anti-terrorist force engaging in world-wide battles for the freedom of mankind in these times? $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$"

 

[Eric Fisher]

no firefly?!?
How could you leave out firefly!

 

[Greg_S_H]

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[Greg_S_H]

Here's a link to a press release announcing the film (or, announcing that an early deal has been made):
http://www.palisadestoys.com/new/wha...9846d7284a 73
I don't have a lot of hope, but I'm even more interested in it now than I was when I participated in this thread before. Since then, I've gone back and read my Marvel G.I.Joe comics and have now read all of the Devil's Due books. It's good to be back in the world of Snake-Eyes and Storm Shadow.