The new G.I. Joe has its leader. Months after Danny McBride was tapped to direct a film based on the Hasbro toy series for Paramount, he’s cast none other than Bradley Cooper as the leader of the Joes, Duke.
Deadline broke the news, with an unfortunate caveat. A crossover film between G.I. Joe and the Transformers is no longer in development.
According to the trade, though, Cooper was on McBride’s short list for the film but wasn’t sure he’d be able to do it, mainly because he’s currently starring in and directing an Ocean’s Eleven prequel opposite Margot Robbie. But once Cooper read the script, he decided he wanted to do it, and they worked it out.
McBride first mentioned his interest in G.I. Joe earlier this year in an interview where he revealed he pitched a movie based on an evil subset of G.I. Joe characters, the Dreadnoks. Paramount thought that was a little too niche, though, and asked McBride if he wanted to do something a bit broader. He then came back with an idea centered on a town controlled by Cobra, the enemy of G.I. Joe. It’s unclear if that’s the same story now, though, as Paramount’s press release simply says, “Plot details are under wraps, but it will be a reimagining of the G.I. Joe franchise.”
Cooper is a very solid start for the film, considering he’s both a talented filmmaker himself and a great actor. His joining up will also start to get other big names involved, so we’re guessing we’ll hear more about casting in the coming weeks.
There’s no news on a release date for McBride’s G.I. Joe, but we’d venture to guess 2028 is a good bet. Are you ready to see Cooper as Duke?
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