GI Joe Movie 2 has it's new director: Jon M. Chu! There are many new updates coming out from several sources. Here is what Jon Chu had to say.

Movieweb.com has this interview posted from Jon M. Chu

He is quite excited about taking on G.I. Joe 2, and promises to bring the 'punch' back to this franchise.

"The one thing I felt was missing from the last Joe movie was the power of the punch. You want Joe to be tough. They are fun, but they are tough. I feel that you don't want to make Joe too kidsie. That is one of the issues they are having. But yeah, I would have so much fun. There are so many cool characters to play with."


Jon M. Chu also talked about his plans for the upcoming sequel.

"I have a bunch of stuff written down. I have done a bunch of drawings and things. We'll have to see where that goes. Joe, to me, is iconic. It is as American as Coke and the Boy Scouts. To have that kind of history in a brand is so rare these days. And that is so powerful. So you can't treat Joe like its just another action movie. You can't treat Joe as just another petty commercial movie. Joe has history. Joe has always been a part of what America is, and now the world. What it means to be a leader and a hero. For me, it is about the fun stuff like Storm Shadow and Snake Eyes, and all the gadgets. All of that stuff. But it has heart. Its heart is what America, and what heroes and leaders around the world, strive to be. I think that is what the brand needs. It needs the respect to be treated in that way."

*EDIT 4:35PM EST: The Hollywood Reporter has also reported that it's currently unknown if Joseph Gordon Levitt will return to reprise his role as Cobra Commander, and that Sienna Miller is unlikely to return. It's said that the Baroness may be recast, or her role may be split up into a couple of new characters:

Sources say Paramount may find itself recasting major roles. While Channing Tatum is expected to return as Duke, it is unclear if Joseph Gordon-Levitt, whose dance card has filled out considerably since breaking out in Inception, will return as one of the villains. Insiders say Sienna Miller is also unlikely to return, with her Baroness role being recast or perhaps divided into a couple of new characters.

Miller 'Compromised Values' For G.I. Joe Role

Actress Sienna Miller has regrets about starring in G.I. Joe: The Rise Of Cobra, insisting she "compromised" her values by accepting the role.

The British beauty played a sexy spy in the 2009 film, but reveals she "didn't feel good" after taking on the shoot.

And she admits the experience of playing an action role subsequently put her off big Hollywood blockbusters, despite the movie offering a "great pay cheque".

She tells Britain's Time Out magazine, "It was what it was, but I compromised my own values to a certain degree and I didn't feel good about that.

"I'm not very good at fighting. And I'm not very good at guns. And I'm not particularly aggressive. I had to wear sunglasses because every time I shot my gun I would blink. I was completely out of place, like this little midget running round in black leather winning fights, which was just absurd. They did a wondrous job with my wardrobe to make me look threatening.

"G.I. Joe (was) a great pay cheque. If, financially, I'm okay - which luckily I am - there's no point in doing stuff that's not right for me. It's too much time away from home."

The actress also reveals she is more focused on furthering her theatre career than taking on new film roles, adding: "There are times when you come off stage and it's so intense that you're screaming and sobbing but you feel amazing. I'm hooked. Doing a film is just not so appealing

GI Joe 2 Scarlett Wins

Rachel-Nichols-Scarlett-GI-Joe The New York Post interviewed Rachel Nichols recently, and she went over her GI Joe Rise Of Cobra action figure(s), and what she looks forward to in GI Joe 2. It turns out, she's not a fan of her action figure(s), and Sienna Miller was also not a fan of the Baroness action figures. Meanwhile, unlike Miller, Nichols seems pretty excited about GI Joe 2 and does not regret playing in Rise Of Cobra:

PW: Do you own the Scarlet action figure?
Rachel: Somewhere. My mother does a great job of collecting and preserving. Hasbro might not like me saying this, but I don’t think my action figure is very attractive. Sienna [Miller] and I actually fought over who’s rendition was uglier. She kind of wins because hers looks like a cross-eyed 80-year-old woman with an overbite, but I look like a man with a very large forehead and a unibrow, so…

PW: Well, I'm sure you can rectify that with the sequel.
Rachel: I would love to. They’ve been very tight-lipped about it -- I haven’t even seen a script, but I would jump to do it in a second. Making the first one was a blast.

Nichols also mentioned that she thinks her fight with Miller in Rise Of Cobra is better than her fight with Rose Mcgowan in Conan, and that in GI Joe 2, Scarlett wins:

PW: Hmm, you've already committed one of the better girlfights to film with Sienna in the first "G.I. Joe," how does this one stack up?
Rachel: [laughs] I should probably say the savvy thing -- that “Conan” is better ... but it’s not. I’m so sorry! Sienna and I had the dopest chick fight ever. Mine with Rose is much shorter. I mean, Baroness & Scarlet fought on elevators! I think that is going to be my favorite scene ever … until we make them give us a better one in “G.I. Joe 2!”

PW: It's a pretty hard act to follow!
Rachel: Well, I need to win! I was complaining that the good girl gets her butt kicked, but the [producers] kept telling me – "in the sequel, you win!" I think it could just be “G.I. Joe 2: Scarlett vs. Baroness.” That’s all it’ll be, just the two of us fighting.

With talk of Lee Byung Hun returning as Storm Shadow brought up numerous times, as well as talk of Channing Tatum reprising his role as Duke, perhaps Nichols will join them for GI Joe 2. Who else will return to reprise their roles?

We reported that Sienna Miller will not be returning in “G.I. Joe 2″ yesterday and now with some regret, we are reporting that Rachel Nichols will not be returning as Scarlett either. As a matter of fact, Nichols says that only Duke, Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow will be returning characters to the sequel.

“GI JOE 2 News Flash: The only characters to return in the JON CHU directed sequel will be SNAKE EYES, STORM SHADOW, and DUKE…”

She even had mentioned a few hours earlier in the day, that she was saddened by news of not returning to do the G.I. Joe sequel. She must have received some kind of notice after this interview she did with the NY Post stating she would really like to reprise her role as Scarlett.

“… Thank you. After the GI JOE news I had Heavy Boots, but I’m smiling now!”

So it definitely sounds like thinks are starting to be shaken up with what almost seems like a reboot. Hopefully we’ll start to hear more on casting soon. Stay tuned to the Terror Drome as we bring you the latest G.I. Joe movie news.

Wait, wait, wait... So, No Scarlett, no Baroness, no JGL as Cobra and probably no "pew pew"? Who the fuck would wanna see that?

[...]

The first one had the "not taking itself seriously" factor that made it fun. If you take away the "pew pew" you fuck it up.