New G.I. Joe Film’s Release Date Pushed Back, Rumored to Be Snake Eyes

It seems fans of Hasbro‘s G.I. Joe franchise will have to wait a bit longer to see the team return to the big screen, as Paramount Pictures has moved their next installment to a new release date. Paramount’s next G.I. Joe film was originally set for a March 27th, 2020 release, but the studio has moved that to a later October 16th release date. No reason was given for the movie, though G.I. Joe wasn’t the only film making a change, as their Micronauts film was bumped from the October 16th date it had to June 4th, 2021 (via Deadline).

We also got a little tidbit of news about the film’s title from Jeff Sneider, who is being told that the film is being called Snake Eyes at the moment. That makes sense, as Snake Eyes is by far one of (if not the most) popular G.I. Joe character and he was a big part of the last film as well. It’s easy to imagine another Snake Eyes vs Storm Shadow battle making its way into the film, though we don’t know if this will be a continuation of the past films or some sort of relaunch/retooling, sort of like what’s happening to The Suicide Squad.

So far there have been two G.I. Joe films to hit theaters and both had significant star power. The first was 2009’s G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, which featured Channing Tatum, Marlon Wayans, Sienna Miller, Dennis Quaid, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Rachel Nichols. That film was produced for $175 million and brought in $150 million domestically with a worldwide gross of $302 million.

The second film, G.I. Joe: Retaliation, was much better received critically, and brought in The Rock, Bruce Willis, Adrianne Palicki, Ray Stevenson, and more, with Tatum appearing but in a brief role. The film lowered the budget to $130 million and brought in more money at the box office, ending with $375 million.

The latter would be the best way to go for a third installment, going for more practical effects and making it about the great looking action sequences with a classic vibe, ala something like The Expendables mixed with John Wick. That would still work with a Snake Eyes centered movie, especially if the fight choreography and combat are hard-hitting and visceral, with a few more Joes sprinkled in to make it a small but memorable squad.

The franchise definitely has potential, and while it may not ever hit Transformers numbers, it still has plenty of room to grow before it hits its ceiling.