Paramount Is Developing A New 'G.I. Joe' Movie With Danny McBride Directing

TV & Film

Jul 18

Danny McBride at the 78th Writers Guild of America Awards in 2026 Image Source: Movie Guide — Image Source: Movie Guide

It’s officially been confirmed that award-nominated actor and writer Danny McBride will not only write the screenplay for Paramount’s upcoming G.I. Joe reboot film, but he’s directing as well!

Known for his unique writing and acting style, Danny McBride is best known for his film roles as Cody Underwood in Tropic Thunder, Red in Pineapple Express, Tennessee Faris in Alien: Covenant, and Rick Mitchell in The Mitchells vs. the Machines. As a screenwriter, he is best known for his collaborations with Jody Hill and David Gordon Green, co-writing The Fist Foot Way, The Legacy of the Whitefall Deer Hunter, and Green’s Halloween sequel trilogy. On the small screen, McBride is best known for co-creating, writing, and starring in the critically acclaimed television shows Eastbound & Down (playing Kenny Powers), Vice Principals (playing Neal Gamby), and The Righteous Gemstones (playing Jesse Gemstone). McBride earned nominations for the Satellite Award for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy for his roles in all three series. He was also an executive producer on the HBO docu-series Telemarketers, which earned him his first ever Primetime Emmy Award nomination.

Debuting in 1964, G.I. Joe went on to become a major media franchise. The franchise has spawned an immensely successful toyline, a beloved comic series, an influential animated series, and became one of the quintessential media franchises of the 80’s alongside Transformers, He-Man, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. However, G.I. Joe has struggled to maintain popularity past the 80s as those franchises did. The first G.I. Joe film, titled The Rise of Cobra (directed by The Mummy helmer Stephen Sommers) was released in 2009 and received negative reviews from critics and was lambasted by fans for straying too far from the source material. Its Dwayne Johnson-starring sequel, Retaliation (directed by future Wicked helmer Jon M. Chu) and the recent Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins didn’t fare much better either critically or financially. Word of another G.I. Joe movie being in the works circulated in February, with two pitches being commissioned; one by Danny McBride and the other by Chronicle writer (and known misogynist and credibly accused sexual assaulter) Max Landis. Landis’ pitch was passed over, with McBride being hired to write the screenplay with Righteous Gemstones co-writers Jeff Fradley and John Carcieri soon afterwards. Despite his credits, McBride has confirmed the film is not a comedy. Earlier this week, Nexus Point News reported that Academy Award nominee Bradley Cooper is in talks to play the lead role. This new G.I. Joe film will be Danny McBride’s feature directorial debut.