When it was revealed last month that Stephen Sommers had been quietly removed from the director’s chair of “G.I. Joe 2,” we figured that a shortlist of contenders would come sooner rather than later. Well, it’s been a month and Paramount has apparently got their ducks in a row and have a trio of uh, interesting choices to take over the gig.
Latino Review is reporting that Jaume Collet-Serra, F. Gary Gray and Jon Chu are on a shortlist to get the job. Um, okay then. If these names scream anything it’s that they’re very “affordable.” Jaume Collet-Serra is probably the best choice of the lot, a director who earned some buzz for “Orphan” and could see his profile raised if next weekend’s “Unknown” with Liam Neeson proves to be a hit; he’s already been hired to direct a Dracula revamp for Warner Bros. called “Harker.” F. Gary Gary is best known for “The Italian Job” and “Friday” and he had a decent hit with “Law Abiding Citizen” in 2009, but he’s also a fairly mediocre director where the talent often elevates the material. The most outright bizarre choice is Jon Chu, the director of two “Step Up” films and the upcoming “Justin Bieber: Never Say Never.” We presume he’s calling in a favor with Paramount after taking on that Bieber pic and he’s also directed Channing Tatum before, so that also helps.
This list — if accurate — should be an indication of where the studio is headed with this picture, which will undoubtedly be much cheaper than its overbudgeted, underperforming predecessor. And so to those that still want a “G.I. Joe 2”: with these names, do you really still want a sequel?
