Posted by
Michael on Saturday, August 25, 2007 4:07:52 PM
Producers of the new G.I. Joe film
decided that it would not be good for business for G.I. Joe to stay tuned to his original intent, instead marketing him as a sort of European Union secret agent:
In a follow-up to their confirmation that Stephen
Sommers will direct G.I. Joe, Variety offers this new description of
the team: “G.I. Joe is now a Brussels-based outfit that stands for Global Integrated Joint Operating Entity,
an international co-ed force of operatives who use hi-tech equipment to
battle Cobra, an evil organization headed by a double-crossing Scottish
arms dealer. The property is closer in tone to X-Men and James Bond
than a war film.”…
So why the changes? Hasbro and Paramount execs recently spoke about
the challenges of marketing a film about the U.S. military at a time
when the current U.S. administration and the wars in Iraq and
Afghanistan are at a low-point in global polls. When a studio makes a
film as expensive as G.I. Joe will likely be, they want to know that as
many people as possible around the world will want to see it. In other
words, G.I. Joe — “A Real American Hero” — is a tough sell.