Paramount Pictures Rejects Max Landis ‘G.I. Joe’ Pitch

by

According to Variety, Paramount Pictures and Hasbro have decided not to move forward with Max Landis’ idea for a new G.I. Joe movie. This news comes after reports last month that Paramount was considering two different pitches for a reboot. One pitch came from Danny McBride, the creator of The Righteous Gemstones, and the other was from Landis, known for his work on films like Chronicle and Bright. Paramount is still developing McBride’s pitch.

According to Variety, Paramount decided not to move forward with John Landis’ pitch for a new G.I. Joe movie because of differing creative visions. Landis explained that his idea came about unexpectedly, stemming from a unique and unconventional concept. He envisioned a world where Cobra, the villainous organization, had actually won, and G.I. Joe had become nothing more than a forgotten legend. Landis noted that this kind of development is common with large franchises, and he was surprised the news even became public. Despite the project not moving forward, he expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to have pitched it.


Paramount Pictures

As a huge cinema fan, I’ve been following the story of John Landis’ pitch for a new G.I. Joe movie, and it seems Paramount had a couple of good reasons to pass. First, even though Landis described his idea as ‘weird and subversive,’ the concept of Cobra essentially taking over the world had already been explored in G.I. Joe: Retaliation – they even had a shot of the Cobra flag flying over the White House! Plus, the studio probably couldn’t ignore the controversy that flared up when it became public that Landis was even being considered to pitch a new G.I. Joe film in the first place.

Several women have accused director Max Landis, son of John Landis, of harassment and assault. Beyond his 2012 film Chronicle, he hasn’t had many successful or critically acclaimed movies. This raises the question: why would Paramount Pictures hire someone with such a history of negative press and limited box office success?

Regardless of what’s happening internally, actor and director John Landis joins a pattern of controversial figures that Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison has worked with. Ellison previously hired John Lasseter, despite past harassment accusations, to lead Skydance Animation, and director Brett Ratner, also accused of misconduct, is reportedly involved in a potential fourth Rush Hour film. These individuals may be more willing to accept work from Ellison, unlike writer Gary Whitta, who declined a G.I. Joe movie pitch due to Ellison’s political affiliations with Donald Trump.

Subscribe to the newsletter for deeper G.I. Joe context

Get clearer context by subscribing to the newsletter: expert coverage and nuanced analysis of studio decisions, talent controversies, and franchise shifts – from the G.I. Joe reboot saga to wider Hollywood developments you’ll care about.

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept our
Terms of Use
and
Privacy Policy
. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Many fans will be happy to hear that Landis is no longer working on G.I. Joe, but his initial involvement highlights a larger problem: Paramount seems unsure how to handle the franchise. G.I. Joe has a history of struggling to gain momentum, with only two connected movies made between 2009 and 2013. The 2021 film, Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins, didn’t perform well, leading to the cancellation of any planned sequels. Although Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (2023) hinted at a potential crossover with G.I. Joe, there haven’t been any updates since.

Read More

2026-03-15 15:32