Obsessed With Film

Posted by Matt Holmes

Have Paramount offered director Stephen Sommers a massive amount of money to direct G.I. Joe?

Variety are reporting that he has now been confirmed as the man given the task of bringing the Hasbro toy franchise to the big screen, just one week after it was reported that he had priced himself out of the movie. Either Sommers settled for less, the studio gave him the money he wanted or as the trade strangely report he was hired on the spot after an excellent pitch… it doesn’t really matter to any of us because the result is the same to us… Sommers is directing it.

Paramount believe this project to be every bit as valuable to them as the Transformers franchise and are hoping for a similar kind of success. A quick February start date is planned for a release slot in the summer of 2009 with the latest draft coming from Stuart Beattie according to IESB. Beattie is one of Hollywood’s hottest screenwriters right now after penning the scripts for Collateral, 30 Days of Night, Australia and a new Tom Clancy movie in early development Without Remorse.

Sommers spoke to the trade about it and he sounds like he isn’t going to be changing his directing style on this one. If you were a fan of The Mummy, The Mummy Returns and Van Helsing then that’s great news, if you weren’t then this will probably disappoint you…

“Our vision (for “The Mummy”) was clear the time the first trailer played during the Super Bowl, and by the time this one plays a Super Bowl, you’ll see the coolest characters and visuals you can imagine, and beyond-state-of-the-art equipment,” Sommers said. “I wouldn’t have jumped into this just because of the Hasbro-Transformers tie. Remember, ‘Pirates of the Caribbean was a big hit, but ‘Haunted Mansion’ not so much.”

So then Sommers promises much of the stunning backdrops and settings that his recent filmography boats for G.I Joe then. This includes the special effects we have to presume.

I love the way Sommers shoots his movies, I’m just waiting for him to put it into an environment where he has characters have some life and purpose to them. I’m very fond of the first Mummy, which is the film that has been the closest of his to work as a whole. He seems like he could do a good job with this one if they are going for the ‘lite’ version of the characters but I’ll guess we will have to see.

categories - Movie News, g.i.-joe

Further Reading

• Sommers prices himself out of G.I. Joe picture?

• Stephen Sommers is directing G.I. Joe

• Wahlberg yet to talk to Sommers about G.I. JOE!

• Stephen Sommers to direct TARZAN

• Who for The Hobbit?

1 Comment »

1. I was glad Sommers was chosen to direct G.I.Joe for many reasons but here’s the main one.

   Sommers LOVES doing research on the material he adapts so he can stay as true the source material as possible. Maybe he didn’t hit “the mark” in some folks eyes (though they can never really say what exactly he didn’t do) but all his stuff feels like skillfully-handled, true representations of the works he’s adapting. He gets bashed a lot, and it makes no sense why -I’ve even heard him lumped in with the likes of Michael Bay and Paul Anderson. Sommers may not be everyone’s cup of tea but nobody can accuse him of not “getting” the concepts he adapts/directs.
   I won’t say having Sommers helming and apparetnly plotting the film means it will be great, but he does have a track record of keeping the movies as close to the source material as he can. I won’t say this means Murphy/Paramount have realized what a HUGE mistake they made with Bay-formers, (though I hope it does) but I see their choosing Sommers to direct the movie, and his making a new pitch, as a good sign -nothing more.
   I hope he also is aware that he needn’t water this movie down. James Bond has been gunning down people by the hundreds for four decades now and has never gotten more than a PG-13 rating -even Casino Royale, with the nude-testicle-torture scene. I hope Sommers keeps this in mind.

   I still say my dream cast for this flick would be: Neal McDonough or Mark Valley (Boston Legal) as Duke; David James Elliott as Flint; Terry Crews (Everybody Hates Chris) or if he’s not available, Ving Rhames as Roadblock; Connie Nielsen as Lady Jay; any tall, built martial artist will do for SnakeEyes; and Everett McGill (Dune, Undre Siege 2) as General Hawk.
   Cameos by people like Wild Bill, Alpine etc (NO Sgt Slaughter!).
   I like the idea of the Baroness with the snake tatoo on her back -kinky, in a good way! Famke Janssen would do well as her, though some other exotic-looking Euro-babe would also fill the bill.

   Comment by JaySmack | August 25, 2007

Leave a comment