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Top 10 G.I. Joe Stories of 2014

I set out to write this article, and was immediately surprised by the fact that there was actually some stuff happening with the G.I. Joe brand in 2014.  I know the fandom is eager to jump and say that G.I. Joe was high and dry in this momentous year, and from a practical perspective, it was, but even so, there were lots of things happening this year worth exploring.  Not on any grand scale, however.

I suppose that’s a commentary on the state of G.I. Joe these days, where it remains somewhat relevant, but just barely.  And one is forced to ask what’s worse? Being totally irrelevant, or being just relevant enough to cling around, but not relevant enough to try and push harder.  It’s like the brand is stuck in this murky middle ground where it’s got the slightest hint of popularity enough for Hasbro to keep it hanging on, but not enough to get a real push.  Yet, until it fades away completely, it likely won’t get a full rejuvination either.

All that being said, there were still some discussion points throughout 2014, and here are my top 10.  I’m going to try very hard to maintain a sense of positivity and optimism, because dammit I still love G.I. Joe, even if the rest of the world currently couldn’t give a crap.  🙂

Check out the list after the break.

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Director Martin Campbell no longer in the running for G.I. Joe 3?

Based on some Hollywood rumors, it was being hypothesized that perhaps director Martin Campbell was slated to be attached to G.I. Joe 3. He was apparently on Lorenzo DiBonaventura’s “wish list” and with Jon Chu relatively busy on other projects, this seemed like something that could possibly happen.

Well, maybe not so much.

Variety is reporting that Campbell is actually attached to a comic book adaptation Sebastian X. According to the article, the script is still in draft stage, so the film is a little ways off. Theoretically I suppose he could end up doing both, but it doesn’t seem likely.

Which leaves the question, if not Campbell, then who? More Jon Chu? He’s working the set of Now You See Me 2 right now, and has already wrapped filming for Jem and the Holograms (I believe) so his dance card may be freeing up. We shall see.

Green Lantern

Rumor – Martin Campbell on the short list to direct G.I. Joe 3

Take this with a heavy dose of salt, but according to SchmoesKnow.com, the producer of G.I. Joe 3, Lorenzo Di Bonaventura has expressed serious interest in bringing Martin Campbell in to direct the third installment of the G.I. Joe film franchise. There has been some question about Jon Chu’s involvement over the past few months, and with him currently deep into the sequel of Now You See Mee, it would appear that Paramount is preparing to move in a different direction.

Keep in mind, this is far from a done deal, and in fact this seems to just be a “wish list” item and not even an actual contract signature, but it certainly has some interesting elements to it.

On the one hand, Campbell directed Green Lantern, one of the more ill-advised comic book films to come out in recent years, but some might argue that wasn’t the fault of the directing. I couldn’t say one way or the other, I could only sit through about twenty minutes of it.

However, on the other hand, Campbell was also in the director’s chair for the most seminal James Bond film of the past twenty years, Casino Royale. That movie propelled Daniel Craig to super star status and completely reinvented the James Bond brand. Those two films seem like such polar opposites I have a hard time wrapping my head around this rumor.

Time will tell. Head over to SchmoesKnow.com for the full story.

Green Lantern

What’s on Joe Mind Episode 95 is online! We talk about it all in this one

I know a lot of folks have been commenting that we don’t record new episodes nearly as often as we used to… but the good side of that is, when we do, they end up being 3+ hour marathons covering all sorts of different topics! Episode 95 certainly falls into that category, talking Boss Fight Studio, the late Don Levine with business partner Kirk Bozigian, and voice actor Michael Dobson. Expect the same level of back and forth blather, and relive the excitement of the final 36 hours of the Vitruvian HACKS Kickstarter campaign.

Listen to the latest episode on Podbean.com or embedded below and check out the Show Notes after the jump.

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Looks like Jon Chu involvement with G.I. Joe 3 still a possibility

Many Hollywood news outlets have reported (or seem to be assuming) that G.I. Joe: Retaliation director Jon Chu is definitely “out” of the director’s chair for the third G.I. Joe film. While I would agree there are many signs that indicate this, Jon Chu himself reports that there is still a chance he will be working on the third Joe film.

Facebook has released a new app entitled “Mentions” which is geared towards celebrities and businesses, and last night, Chu participated in a Q & A through his Facebook page. There were many innocuous questions, but a few questions did emerge about the status of G.I. Joe 3. Chu’s responses got my attention:

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By the sounds of that Facebook response, he still has a chance of being attached to G.I. Joe 3, as long as the timing is right. Sure, this could be PR talk, but it sounds like the door is at least partway open. Further down in the conversation, he is still speaking about G.I. Joe and posts the following:

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Could he be referencing certain “compromises” with G.I. Joe: Retaliation? Compromises like trying to resolve the first film? Compromises like Duke’s death? Regardless, it was interesting to see Chu open up a little bit about his current status with G.I. Joe 3 and keep that door open. I for one hope it remains open, because I feel like Chu honestly loves the world and wants to do right by it.

Time will tell.

Back to the drawing (and writing) board for G.I. Joe 3

Last year, shortly after the reported success of G.I. Joe: Retaliation, a third film was announced with Evan Daugherty writing and Jon Chu directing. In fact, we even heard from Chu himself a short while ago saying they were trying to polish up the script. Well, apparently “polishing” means scrapping the whole thing and starting over.

Producer Lorenzo Di Bonaventura already confirmed that Chu was no longer involved with the project, and now word has emerged from Variety that writer Jonathon Lemkin is handling script duties. Lemkin has some writing credits to his name, including Red Planet, Shooter, and Lethal Weapon 4, though no single project that really leaps out at me.

With a new writer, an incoming new director, and a film reportedly focusing heavily on Dwayne Johnson’s Roadblock, the next year or so should prove interesting in G.I. Joe movie news.

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