Paramount Doubles Down: Two New G.I. Joe Movies Coming From Max Landis and Danny McBride

Paramount is taking another run at G.I. Joe, and they are hedging their bets the old-fashioned studio way: two writers, two separate takes, one big franchise target.

Two Joes, one finish line (potentially)

Here is where things stand right now:

• Paramount has brought in Max Landis to write a treatment for a new G.I. Joe movie.
• Danny McBride is also writing his own G.I. Joe script on a separate track.
• Multiple reports claim the studio may combine the two into a single project, though the exact plan remains in flux.

Studios do this with high-profile IP when they want options and speed. Think of the way big swings like WB's Tarzan and Universal's The Mummy lured multiple writers into the mix. Those films did not exactly set the world on fire, but the playbook is familiar.

The Landis of it all

Max Landis, son of filmmaker John Landis, broke out with the 2012 sci-fi thriller Chronicle. He later created the wonderfully weird Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, which ran for two seasons, and scripted Bright for director David Ayer and star Will Smith, a project that drew plenty of mixed reactions.

This G.I. Joe move marks a potential Hollywood re-entry for Landis. Several years ago, multiple women accused him of sexual and emotional abuse. No charges were filed, but the fallout was immediate: CAA and Writ Large dropped him, projects stalled, and he largely disappeared from the scene. Paramount putting him on a treatment is the biggest step back toward a studio film he has had since.

The McBride angle

Danny McBride brings a different flavor. He is a creative force behind The Righteous Gemstones, co-wrote the modern Halloween films, and, yes, popped up on screen in Tropic Thunder. If Paramount wants bite and attitude, he can deliver that voice while still playing inside a big four-quadrant sandbox.

What this means for G.I. Joe

The brand still carries plenty of goodwill, even if its time on the big screen has been uneven. Handing parallel assignments to Landis and McBride suggests Paramount wants a clear, confident direction before locking a single vision. Whether they fuse the two takes or pick a winner, the goal is obvious: get Joe marching in step again.

More to come once Paramount makes the call on which version leads the mission.