Paramount Pictures and Hasbro are not moving forward with a take on a new G.I. Joe movie from screenwriter Max Landis, multiple sources told Variety.
Landis, son of “Trading Places” director John Landis, was engaged by the studio and the toymaker earlier this year for a script treatment surrounding the iconic action figures. New film leadership at Paramount are prioritizing the relaunch of this IP and others, including “Star Trek.”
Paramount passed on Landis’ treatment for creative reasons, one source added. The studio is still in talks with and awaiting scripts from other writers, including “The Righteous Gemstones” star Danny McBride.
Reached via Instagram, Landis told Variety he was “tremendously grateful to have been given the opportunity.” He elaborated that his pitch came together “very serendipitously based on the coolness of the weird and subversive idea.” That idea centered around the film franchise’s villain, Cobra, “having successfully taken over the world and reduced GI Joe to a conspiracy theory. But this is just how big IP development always is. Honestly, I was surprised it was reported at all.”
Paramount Pictures did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A rep for Hasbro could not immediately be reached for comment.
News of Landis pitching on the project grabbed headlines, as his career cratered after allegations of sexual assault and other misconduct were brought against him in 2016 by eight women. At the time, Landis was dropped from agency CAA and multiple development projects set up at studios were cancelled.
Call it one less man headache for David Ellison’s media empire. The studio came on board as distributor for a new “Rush Hour” movie from Hollywood pariah Brett Ratner (himself accused of sexual harassment and assault in the #MeToo movement) last year. To say nothing of the ongoing drama with Paramount president Jeff Shell, currently under investigation for allegedly leaking privileged information to an outside party – one suing him for $150 million.
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