Posted on 09/03/2007 3:35:19 PM PDT by SouthJrzReaganite18
Who needs A Real American Hero? Not Paramount or Hasbro it seems. The studio's live-action feature film version of G.I. Joe will no longer revolve around a top-secret U.S. special forces team but rather an international operation.
In a follow-up to their confirmation that Stephen Sommers will direct G.I. Joe, Variety offers this new description of the team: "G.I. Joe is now a Brussels-based outfit that stands for Global Integrated Joint Operating Entity, an international co-ed force of operatives who use hi-tech equipment to battle Cobra, an evil organization headed by a double-crossing Scottish arms dealer. The property is closer in tone to X-Men and James Bond than a war film."
Wow. A Real Globally Integrated Hero! Can we assume that this "double-crossing Scottish arms dealer" is Destro since he was one in the comics? And does that mean there will be no Cobra Commander in it?
So why the changes? Hasbro and Paramount execs recently spoke about the challenges of marketing a film about the U.S. military at a time when the current U.S. administration and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are at a low-point in global polls. When a studio makes a film as expensive as G.I. Joe will likely be, they want to know that as many people as possible around the world will want to see it. In other words, G.I. Joe -- "A Real American Hero" -- is a tough sell.
Although the new G.I. Joe team will be international in scope, don't expect Joe's British counterpart Action Man to be included after all. IESB.net reports, "Looks like he will be gone, this new script is set to be 100% GI Joe, it will revolve around the characters we all grew up with fighting Cobra, Destro, the Baroness and Storm Shadow. When do they expect to have this new script ready? Six to eight weeks. Pre-production is expected to start by October-November and production to start early '08."
"Our vision (for The Mummy) was clear the time the first trailer played during the Super Bowl, and by the time this one plays a Super Bowl, you'll see the coolest characters and visuals you can imagine, and beyond-state-of-the-art equipment," Sommers informed Variety. "I wouldn't have jumped into this just because of the Hasbro-Transformers tie. Remember, Pirates of the Caribbean was a big hit, but Haunted Mansion not so much."
Producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura added, "My experience with beloved properties is that characters, attitude and tone are even more important than plot. ... Paramount showed a great deal of confidence in Stephen's take, and our ability as producers to get this up and running for a February start. His passion for the characters and the world convinced the studio this was something they couldn't resist."
...despite the fact that G.I. Joe toys are sold all around the world successfully and movies about U.S. soldiers do well internationally.
This movie would provide an excellent platform from which to explain the role of the American Government Issue. Taking contemporary world situations, the GI could be shown to be helping people around the planet. A little history could fill in accomplishments during the last century. These men fufill a very important role. It’s unconcionable that some corporate entitiy would take a pass on defending them, for the almighty buck.
Our corporations are in many instances the ultimate in turncoats these days. One gets the impression that if our form of govenment failed, they’d be perfectly happy as long as they could continue to make money.
Well, it generally doesn’t work that way men, and your reluctance to support your nation just may come back to haunt you some day.
What does G2 stand for?
Grace under fire.
Dude never even flinched.
Sounds like he is a member of F.A.G.
LOL...yer too much...:)
Man from U.N.C.L.E.
GI used to stand for Government Issue. They sold army surplus goods and clothing in the ‘40s and ‘50s.
For many years, GI Joe was a real hero figure for little boys to emulate.
Today I fly my beautiful American flag in honor of our brave troops, past, present and future.
Global polls? Hasbro may end up wondering why U.S. sales of Joe suddenly take a dive down the old flusher. Maybe the kiddies in Belgium can keep them afloat. Maybe they're idiots.
Mattel should be ashamed of itself.
No Mattel toys in our house.
BLASPHEMY!
...and I read that part about Cobra as being a cross-DRESSING Scottish arms dealer...
G2 is the intelligence unit above the Regimental level [It was S2 at Regiment and Battalion]. G3 was Operations, G1 personnel, G4 Supply.
GI may have started as Government issue but there was also GI the barracks [clean it] or a GI shower given to guys who stunk because they didn’t shower in training, also everything is GI” for legit. Whatever, it meant OK.
No Mattel toys in our house.
Its Hasbro, not Mattel. Mattel makes Barbie. And in reality, its the film production company more than Hasbro.
So...who’s going to play Cobra?
Don’t forget that in the last Superman movie, the man of steel stood for truth, justice, and (dismissively) all that other stuff. They didn’t want Superman to stand for the American way, since that might insult anti-American ticket buyers overseas.
Of course, they thought nothing of insulting patriotic Americans by changing Superman’s long-standing motto.
well, in fairness to me, that response was made after two glasses of wine on an empty stomach.
This is why Hollywood is becoming obsolete.
In this film Joe’s probably sharing a vegan meal with Islamofascists and chicoms, all while wearing a blue helmet and a watermelon grin.
Richard Simmons.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.