DJ Caruso could Direct 'GI Joe 3' if Dwayne Johnson Approves

When Dwayne Johnson helped revive the GI Joe franchise (after only one movie it already needed a jumpstart) with GI Joe: Retaliation, Paramount was keen on getting a sequel ready as soon as possible. That never really happened due in part to director Jon M. Chu who left to pursue another '80s property in Jem and the Holograms. The most recent name to meet for the job was Martin Campbell, but that went nowhere and now DJ Caruso (Disturbia) has entered the discussion....but he's gotta get through the roadblock that is Dwayne Johnson first.

According to THR, Caruso has entered talks to direct GI Joe 3, but he has to have a meeting with Johnson before that can happen. Johnson basically became the face of the franchise when he took the role of Roadblock in GI Joe: Retaliation, which earned $375M worldwide in 2013. It goes to show the growing power Johnson wields in Hollywood as a key part of multiple studio blockbusters.

Caruso has been keeping a low profile of late but he's found success in the past with the Shia LaBeouf films Disturbia and Eagle Eye. He also directed the sci-fi flick I Am Number Four, but after that bombed he hasn't been as prominent. He last directed the 2013 coming-of-age drama Standing Up which nobody saw, and recently wrapped The Disappointments Room starring Kate Beckinsale. There's no release date for GI Joe 3 yet but Paramount likely wants to get moving on it ASAP.

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Martin Campbell Reportedly Sought to Direct 'G.I. Joe 3'

The first two G.I. Joe films have combined for $675M worldwide, but do they seem like one Hollywood's top franchises? Hardly; in fact Paramount continues to try and find just the right formula, one that will appease diehard fans and lure in casual audiences.  Simply adding Dwayne Johnson into the mix for G.I. Joe: Retaliation was a good start, but as they gear up for G.I. Joe 3 the next step is going to have to involve a new director, and it may be Casino Royale's Martin Campbell.

According to a rumor over at Schmoes Know, Campbell is Paramount's top choice to direct the untitled G.I. Joe film, with early talks already taking place. Jon M. Chu was at the helm for the second installment and, as a longtime fan of the G.I. Joe toys, he sought to make the film as close to what he remembered as possible. He did a pretty good job with it in my opinion, and it would have been preferable for if he stayed on board. Campbell is a very different kind of director, one that I don't think necessarily meshes well with what makes G.I. Joe work. Sure, Campbell can do darker material like Casino Royale or Edge of Darkness, but he also directed Green Lantern and the two Zorro movies which were pretty terrible.G.I. Joe needs to be both grounded and a little silly, and Campbell isn't the right guy for finding that kind of balance.

The bigger question is who will re-enlist for another G.I. Joe mission. Johnson is expected to return as Roadblock and will probably have a larger presence, but what about Bruce Willis or Channing Tatum? Previous rumors suggested some of the first film's cast could also return, while we've also seen clues suggesting the storyline will focus heavily on Snake Eyes' ninja clan.  Right now the film has a script by Jonathan Lemkin (The Devil's Advocate) and a possible release date in 2016.

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Release Dates: 'Transformers 5' and 'Star Trek 3' in 2016, 'Bourne 5' Moved to Same Year

Michael Bay told us Transformers: Age of Extinction was the start of a new trilogy with Mark Wahlberg basically confirming it, and now we see Paramount taking steps to prepare for the franchise's future. Whether that will include Bay's direction is still kind of up in the air, but we do know the film will arrive in 2016.

The announcement was made today at CineEurope that not only will Transformers 5 arrive that year, but the studio will be going sequel and remake crazy in 2016 with Star Trek 3, Beverly Hills Cop, G.I. Joe 3, Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters 2, and Paranormal Activity 5, which apparently won't come out in 2014 after all. They will also release Timur Bekmambetov's remake of Ben-Hur that same year. Star Trek 3 recently gained a director in longtime screenwriter Roberto Orci, and the plan to release it in 2016 coincides with plans to have the film ready by the franchise's 50th anniversary.

Over on the Universal lot, they've bumped the fifth 'Bourne' film eleven months to July 15th 2016. Justin Lin recently came aboard to direct the returning Jeremy Renner, reprising his role from The Bourne Legacy as super-agent Aaron Cross. [THR]

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