Proving once again that the ’80s was arguably the best decade, the G.I. Joe resurgence is kicking things up a notch with a new movie. That’s right, Mattel‘s He-Man and the Masters of the Universe and Hasbro‘s G.I. Joe are once again entering the mainstream!
Just days after the G.I. Joe: War On Cobra mobile game was revealed, production is underway for Snake Eyes, a live-action spinoff presented under the new “G.I. Joe Origins” branding. The film from Paramount Pictures and Hasbro‘s Allspark Pictures is said to be both a prequel and a reboot to the overall G.I. Joe film saga, which began in 2009 with G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, followed by G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013).
Henry Golding (Crazy Rich Asians) will assume the title role, donning the black suit previously worn by Ray Park (Star Wars’ Darth Maul) in the previous films.
“We’re really starting a new timeline — a new franchise — in the G.I. Joe Universe,” Golding said at a production launch event at Tokyo’s Hie-Jinja Shrine this morning. “To kick it off with such a distinct and stylized film really sets the precedence for follow-up movies.”
Golding was joined by fellow castmembers Andrew Koji (performing the role of Storm Shadow), Haruka Abe, Iko Uwais, and Takehiro Hira, alongside director Robert Schwentke (RED, The Captain), executive producers Jeff Waxman and Erik Howsam, and stunt coordinator Kenji Tanigaki for the traditional Japanese blessing to start production.
Snake Eyes is set to hit theaters on Oct. 23. Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Hasbro CEO Brian Goldner are producers. Evan Spiliotopoulos (Beauty and the Beast, Charlie’s Angels) penned the screenplay.
Photos: Paramount Pictures
