GI Joe Transformers Crossover Live-Action Movie From Steven Spielberg Happening
CinemaCon 2024 has been the source of a great deal of new and exciting information this week, with a wide array of studios and distributors announcing their latest and greatest forthcoming projects. Now, according to a write-up in JoBlo, Paramount reps have taken to the Las Vegas, Nevada stage to announce that the long-rumored G.I. Joe crossover into the live-action Transformers franchise is officially underway. Audiences already knew that this event was being planned, as the final moments of last year’s Transformers: Rise of the Beasts featured Anthony Ramos’ Noah Diaz being recruited by the elite soldier team.
G.I. Joe And Transformers In The Comics
The G.I. Joe and Transformers brands previously crossed over during the 1980s, in a series of Marvel comic books which chronicled the rise of the Autobots and their continued efforts to defend Earth from their mechanical foes. Now, the two landmark franchises will be united on the big screen for the first time ever in live action. While no screenwriter or director has been confirmed for the crossover film at this time, Steven Spielberg has signed on in the role of executive producer, meaning the blockbuster project is in excellent hands.
Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts
For the time being, there’s no way of knowing how a crossover between G.I. Joe and the Transformers will impact the ongoing Transformers film franchise, as the continuity is already a bit of a mess following the prequel effort Rise of the Beasts. The 2023 film takes Optimus Prime and a handful of other popular Autobots, and places them in the hip hop-heavy world of the 1990s, nearly a decade before they would come to meet Shia LaBeouf’s Sam Witwicky. Fans have already begun to theorize that the latest Transformers films have actually established a fresh new timeline, though the studio execs behind the movie have not yet confirmed this to be the case.
It’s Not Clear How The Crossover Will Happen
Of course, there don’t seem to be many options for the G.I. Joe Transformers crossover unless a new continuity is the case, as the established timeline wouldn’t allow for the American government and general public to become aware of the Transformers’ existence until 2007. The G.I. Joe timeline is expected to be fully rebooted in the upcoming crossover, completely separated from the 2009 and 2013 films which starred Dwayne Johnson and Channing Tatum.
A Replacement For Superhero Films?
Beyond that, the details of the upcoming crossover event are largely a mystery, though the studio likely intends to launch a long-running franchise if the first crossover performs well at the box office. Major franchises such as Marvel and DC have seen diminishing returns in the last year or so due to an over-saturation of superhero films and a general sense of superhero fatigue, though G.I. Joe and the Transformers may have what it takes to get audiences back into theaters.
A Potential Gold Mine
Rise of the Beasts performed worse than previous Transformers outings, but still managed to earn more than double its budget at the global box office, making the film a mild financial success. That being said, crossover films tend to perform well in theaters, drawing in crowds from both sides of the IP fandom. Adding a little G.I. Joe chocolate into the Transformers peanut butter may prove to be the secret for revitalizing both franchises.
Source: JoBlo
