Remember those two live-action G.I. Joe movies from a few years back? Well, Paramount sure hopes you do, as they’re moving forward with a Snake Eyes focused spin-off. The feature was initially announced by The Hollywood Reporter, all the way back in May. Now, Variety has run a report, saying that The Time Traveler’s Wife director, Robert Schwentke is in talks to take on the project.
Snake Eyes, for those who may have forgotten, is the one of the good guys in Habro’s long running toy/cartoon/movie line. A silent ninja commando, he’s been a fan favorite for years. Even providing some of the most rousing action sequences in 2013’s G.I. Joe: Retaliation. Both previous films included side stories following the rivalry between Snake Eye’s and Cobra’s own ninja, Storm Shadow.
Given the character’s background Schwentke may appear to be an odd choice to tackle the project. Yet his filmography shows a director who can make the kind of “paint-by-numbers” big budgeted films that keep studio heads relatively happy (RED, Insurgent, Flightplan). He’s also capable of small, understated efforts, like last years German black & white World War II picture, The Captain. Should he sign on, he’d be working off a script from Evan Spiliotopoulos (Hercules). As of yet, no plot details have leaked out.
Paramount is probably hoping for Schwentke to fuse his two directorial sensibilities, as they and Hasbro are desperate for another franchise to pair alongside Transformers. The biggest cog to keep an eye on here is Bumblebee, opening right around the corner. If it proves to be a hit, the studio is likely to fast track this film and follow the same semi-pared back prequel template.
As soon as we hear any further news, we’ll make sure to update you.
