Paramount Pictures is once again rolling the dice on its G.I. Joe franchise, but this time, the studio is taking an unconventional approach: hiring two writers with very different backgrounds and reputations to develop separate scripts for the same property. On February 27, 2026, multiple outlets including The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline, and Variety confirmed that Danny McBride and Max Landis have each been tapped to craft their own vision for the next G.I. Joe film. The plan? To blend the two scripts into a single movie that could relaunch the iconic Hasbro toy line on the big screen.
The move is, to put it mildly, unusual. While Hollywood studios have occasionally developed multiple scripts for a single franchise—think Warner Bros.'s Tarzan or Universal's The Mummy reboot in the mid-2010s—it's rare for both to be actively merged, rather than one version racing ahead or cherry-picking ideas. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Paramount is hoping to combine the best elements from both McBride and Landis, though a studio source said the projects are still technically separate at this early stage. Decisions about the final direction will be made once both scripts are submitted and reviewed.
So, who are the creative minds behind these new takes? Danny McBride, best known as the creator and star of HBO's The Righteous Gemstones, has built a reputation as a singular comedic force. But he's no stranger to franchise filmmaking either: McBride co-wrote the successful reboot of the Halloween franchise and had a hand in the recent (if less successful) attempt to revive The Exorcist. He's also lent his voice to Paramount's Angry Birds movies and created cult-favorite TV comedies like Eastbound & Down and Vice Principals. As Variety noted, McBride is currently in talks to write a treatment for the new G.I. Joe film, bringing both his comedic sensibility and franchise experience to the table.
Max Landis, on the other hand, is a far more controversial figure. Once hailed as a promising screenwriter after penning the acclaimed superhero drama Chronicle and the Netflix hit Bright, Landis's career imploded in the late 2010s following multiple accusations of sexual and emotional abuse from several women. The allegations, which peaked with a 2019 Daily Beast exposé, led to Landis being dropped by his management company Writ Large and his representatives at CAA. No criminal charges were ever filed, but Landis largely disappeared from the Hollywood mainstream. In a YouTube video three years ago, Landis publicly acknowledged, "I get why certain people hate me," admitting to "serious mistakes" in his relationships and calling himself a "toxic partner to girlfriends." Despite the fallout, he continued to create superhero-themed content online, including a viral YouTube monologue as Barry Allen (The Flash), where he portrayed a persecuted scientist whose career had ended, only to be given another chance by a villainous employer.
Paramount's decision to bring Landis back into the fold is already raising eyebrows. As The Hollywood Reporter observed, the studio—under the stewardship of Skydance's David Ellison—has developed a track record for working with controversial figures. John Lasseter, the former Pixar chief who admitted to "missteps" at his previous company, was hired to run Skydance Animation. More recently, Brett Ratner, accused of sexual misconduct in 2017, was tapped to direct Rush Hour 4 for Paramount. The studio's willingness to give so-called "canceled" men another shot is attracting scrutiny, especially in an industry still reckoning with the legacy of the #MeToo movement.
From a business perspective, Paramount's strategy is a response to the mixed fortunes of the G.I. Joe franchise. The first two films—2009's G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra and 2013's G.I. Joe: Retaliation—were box office successes, grossing a combined $678 million globally and featuring stars like Channing Tatum, Bruce Willis, and Dwayne Johnson. However, the 2021 spinoff Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins, focused on the franchise's most enigmatic character, flopped with just $40 million in worldwide receipts. According to Deadline and Variety, this underperformance has prompted Paramount to reevaluate its approach, seeking fresh creative energy while still banking on the enduring nostalgia among Gen X fans who grew up with the 1980s toys and animated series.
Adding another layer of intrigue is the possibility of a crossover with another of Paramount's tentpole franchises: Transformers. The 2023 film Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, directed by Steven Caple Jr., teased a potential union between the Autobots and the world of G.I. Joe in its closing moments. Producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura, who oversees both the Transformers and G.I. Joe properties, is at the helm of these new projects as well. According to Deadline, multiple Transformers projects are in early stages, and the crossover concept is "not out of sight, out of mind." If realized, such a mash-up could inject new life into both franchises and tap into the trend of cinematic universes that has dominated Hollywood in recent years.
Paramount's approach—developing two scripts with the intention of blending them—reflects the studio's desire to hedge its bets in an increasingly risky theatrical market. Yet some industry observers are skeptical. As The Hollywood Reporter pointed out, recent franchise successes like 2023's Barbie have thrived on a singular creative vision, in that case from writer-director Greta Gerwig. Will a "Frankenstein" approach, stitching together disparate ideas from two writers with such different sensibilities, pay off? Or will it result in a muddled final product that pleases no one?
For now, the projects remain in early development, with no official green light or casting news. Studio representatives have declined to comment on the process or the controversy surrounding Landis's hiring. What is clear is that Paramount is determined to keep its major intellectual properties in play, with new installments of Scream, Scary Movie, Paw Patrol, Sonic the Hedgehog, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Angry Birds all on the horizon for 2026 and 2027.
Whether this bold, unconventional approach to G.I. Joe will deliver box office glory—or simply more headaches for the studio—remains to be seen. But in an era when Hollywood is constantly reinventing the rules, Paramount is certainly not afraid to try something new, even if it means courting controversy along the way.