After teasing the meeting of two major Hasbro franchises more than three years ago, Paramount has officially abandoned plans for its live-action Transformers and G.I. Joe crossover movie.
The project is no longer in development as Paramount instead moves forward with a standalone G.I. Joe reboot starring Bradley Cooper as Duke. The new film will be directed by Danny McBride, who co-wrote the screenplay with Jeff Fradley and John Carcieri.
The crossover had been in development following the ending of 2023’s Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. The film concluded with Anthony Ramos’ Noah Diaz interviewing for what initially appeared to be a government security position. He was instead introduced to the G.I. Joe organization, setting up the possibility of the two franchises sharing the screen in a future installment.
Paramount subsequently made the crossover official at CinemaCon in April 2024. Derek Connolly, whose credits include Jurassic World and Kong: Skull Island, was brought aboard to write the screenplay.
Chris Hemsworth was also reported to be in talks to star in the film. Hemsworth had already joined the Transformers franchise by voicing a young Optimus Prime in the 2024 animated film Transformers One.
Despite those developments, the crossover never progressed into production. Paramount’s new G.I. Joe film is being described as a reimagining of the franchise and has been “uncoupled” from Transformers, with the previously planned crossover no longer moving forward.
Cooper will take over the role of Conrad “Duke” Hauser, one of the best-known characters in the G.I. Joe franchise. Channing Tatum previously played Duke in 2009’s G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra and returned for 2013’s G.I. Joe: Retaliation.
McBride is making his feature directorial debut on the new film. Although best known as an actor and comedian, he has extensive writing and producing credits, including The Righteous Gemstones, Vice Principals, Halloween and Halloween Kills. He previously directed episodes of The Righteous Gemstones and Vice Principals.
Plot details for the new G.I. Joe remain under wraps, although McBride has indicated that the story will follow Duke and a group of other Joes. Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Mark Vahradian and Zev Foreman are producing for Hasbro Entertainment.
The film will represent another attempt to relaunch G.I. Joe on the big screen. Following The Rise of Cobra and Retaliation, Paramount released Snake Eyes in 2021 with Henry Golding in the title role. The film was intended as a new starting point for the franchise but did not lead to a direct sequel.
The cancellation also leaves questions about what comes next for the live-action Transformers series. Rise of the Beasts was itself positioned to continue the storyline that began with 2018’s Bumblebee, and its G.I. Joe reveal appeared to provide a clear direction for the next installment.
Paramount does, however, still have plans for additional Transformers movies. At CinemaCon earlier this year, the studio confirmed that another film in the franchise was in development. Jason Fuchs, whose credits include Wonder Woman and It: Welcome to Derry, was subsequently tapped to write a new Transformers screenplay.
Whether that project will continue the characters and storyline from Rise of the Beasts remains unclear. No director, cast or release date has been announced.
For now, the two Hasbro properties are heading down separate theatrical paths, bringing an end to a crossover that Paramount had been developing since Rise of the Beasts first brought the worlds of Transformers and G.I. Joe together in 2023.
Source: Collider