‘G.I. Joe’ Spinoff ‘Snake Eyes’ Potentially Tapping ‘Divergent’ Director

Following reports from earlier this year that a Snake Eyes spinoff film was heading into development, Variety now reports that Robert Schwentke is in talks to direct the film. Schwentke previously delivered audiences RED and the Insurgent and Allegiant entries in the Divergent franchise. The script is being penned by Beauty and the Beast and The Huntsman: Winter’s War writer Evan Spiliotopoulos.

The ninja character made his live-action debut in 2009’s G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra and, much like his action figure and appearances in the G.I. Joe animated series, became a fan favorite. Snake Eyes return for the 2013 sequel, G.I. Joe: Retaliation.

The live-action G.I. Joe franchise has had a complicated history, with the success of Hasbro’s first Transformers film seemingly confirming the potential in bringing another recognizable brand to life. While the 2009 film was a relative success financially, taking in more than $300 million worldwide, but it was met with poor reviews, sitting at a 34 percent positive rating on review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes. The film’s sequel managed to take in more money worldwide, more than $375 million, though it was also met with poor reviews, sitting at only 29 percent positive reviews.

These numbers aren’t quite abysmal, yet, given the notoriety of the franchise and the success of the Transformers series, the critical and financial reception were both underwhelming. Reports have circulated in recent years that a third film was being developed, though it would likely be a reboot to attempt a new approach to the concept. Last year, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who starred in Retaliation, claimed he knew how to do the series justice.

“We have talked with Paramount. … They have a big writers’ room with Transformers. With G.I. Joe, too. But the world of G.I. Joe, what’s exciting about that is, it’s just an opportunity to build out,” the actor shared with CinemaBlend. “Now, we’ve made two G.I. Joes. What they can do is phenomenal, right? When you think about M.A.S.K., and you think about G.I. Joe, and you think about the world that they can build out. I think, if they are interested in bringing Roadblock back, great, let’s talk about it. But I wish them the best of luck. I loved working in that movie and the franchise, and if I didn’t do it again, I’m great with them, and I wish them the best of luck. But I do hope they build it out really nicely, and I think they can.”

This spinoff could help test the waters at bringing the proper series back from the dead.

Snake Eyes is slated to debut in theaters on May 27, 2020.