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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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Di Bonaventura confirms that Chu is out of G.I. Joe 3 – Filming begins 2015

On the promotional tour for the latest Transformers blockbuster, Lorenzo Di Bonaventura (who also produces the G.I. Joe films) was asked about the current status of G.I. Joe 3 by the folks at Collider. He confirmed earlier rumors from Dwayne Johnson that filming would begin in early 2015, and even more than that, fully put to bed the question of whether or not Jon Chu was returning to direct the third film.

Speaking of the directing efforts, Di Bonaventura said:

“We’re just starting [to talk to directors]. We’re negotiating with a writer right now, and once we close that deal—which should be any moment—then we’ll have a story locked down. I’m really excited about it.”

Interestingly, he also says they’re “negotiating with a writer”. Reports were that Evan Daugherty was writing the treatment, but either that’s changed, or he is being brought back to add some more polish to the script. As far as the shooting schedule goes, the producer says the following:

“G.I. Joe 3 we are trying to get going, starting early next year…I think it’ll be a little later than [January]. I think February or March is probably more realistic. We were originally shooting for January and I think it’s slid a little bit, but you never know. It’s still a little too early to tell yet.”

Again, this aligns with the rumors from Johnson reported several months ago. Speaking of Johnson, Di Bonaventura was quick to mention that he will play a central role in the third G.I. Joe film, but that other cast had yet to be determined. Obviously with the Arashikage symbol so front and center on the movie poster, you know there are some strong ninja elements at play…but it’s curious to see how few other commitments we have yet.

One things for sure, it’s sounding like G.I. Joe’s 51st Anniversary year is sure to be more eventful than his 50th.

Check Collider for full details.

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G.I. Joe 3 Announced for 2016 Theatrical Release

Just about 24 hours after ComingSoon.net got that glimpse of the G.I. Joe 3 banner, we now have confirmation from Paramount Senior VP Edward Ryan that the current plan is for the third G.I. Joe film to hit theaters in 2016.

No other information was given, though this fits with a timeline that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson mentioned a few months ago saying that filming would begin at the start of 2015.  In that same interview, The Rock also indicated that Jon Chu may not be returning to helm the film, so time will tell how it all shakes out.

Thanks to The Hollywood Reporter for the info.

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Hold the phone… G.I. Joe 3 is not dead yet!

I’m sure the thought has crossed many minds among the online G.I. Joe community, what with news of the Jem movie, and rumors that Jon Chu was in talks to direct another film following it, that perhaps the future of the G.I. Joe motion picture franchise wasn’t real pretty.  Heck, I’ll fully admit, I’ve been wondering the same thing.

Well, G.I. Joe film universe fans, there’s a little something to look forward to courtesy of the 2014 Licensing Expo and ComingSoon.net.  The eagle eyed reporters at Coming Soon spotted a G.I. Joe 3 Movie Poster.  It is impressive in its generic-ness, but the fact that a poster is there shows that it’s still on the mind at Paramount, and it’s not dead yet!

No real information beyond the image is available as of yet, but check out ComingSoon.net, and I’ve also mirrored the image below.

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