Bradley Cooper to play Duke in Paramount's G.I. Joe film directed by Danny McBride

Bradley Cooper is set to star as Duke, the leader of the military unit, in Paramount Pictures' new G.I. Joe film, based on the Hasbro toy line. 1 2 Deadline reported the casting as an exclusive citing sources. Screen Rant said the studio had officially announced it. 1 3 Danny McBride, creator of HBO's The Righteous Gemstones, is directing. He also wrote the script with Jeff Fradley and John Carcieri. 2 1

Variety described the film as McBride's first major directing effort, after the pilot of HBO's The Righteous Gemstones and a few episodes of Vice Principals. Collider said he is a longtime franchise fan who earlier pitched a movie centred on the Dreadnoks. 4 5 Deadline said McBride won the job after being one of a handful of pitches Paramount considered earlier this year. It said Cooper topped his wish list, and negotiations began in recent weeks after Cooper read the script and met McBride. 1 Cooper and McBride have worked together before. Cooper appeared in an episode of The Righteous Gemstones. 1 2

Collider said Cooper played Elijah Gmestone in the Gemstones season-four premiere, and had a cameo in Hasbro's 2023 Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. 5 Plot details are under wraps. Deadline said the film is a reimagining of the franchise and is uncoupled from a previous Transformers crossover that is no longer in development. 1 2 Variety said Paramount confirmed the film has been "uncoupled" from the Transformers franchise, a crossover teased at the end of 2023's Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. Collider said Chris Hemsworth had been slated to play Duke in that crossover. 4 5

Collider quoted McBride as saying earlier this year that the film follows Duke and other Joes in Springfield, a town in the comics that is secretly all Cobra. 5 Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Mark Vahradian and Zev Foreman are producing for Hasbro Entertainment. Range Media represents Cooper. 2 1 The Hollywood Reporter noted that Channing Tatum played Duke in G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra (2009) and G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013), both released by Paramount. 2

Both trade outlets place the film in Paramount's push to develop existing franchises. The Hollywood Reporter credits new owner David Ellison, while Deadline credits co-chairs Josh Greenstein and Dana Goldberg. The Hollywood Reporter said Cooper's casting suggests this may be the first of those projects to reach cameras. 2 1 Deadline said Cooper's schedule includes directing and starring opposite Margot Robbie in the Ocean's prequel, which is in production in Europe. The Hollywood Reporter called G.I. Joe a rare IP play for him, after his recent directing work on Maestro and Is This Thing On? 1 2 Variety said Cooper is directing the Ocean's 11 prequel, in production, and starring with Margot Robbie and Monica Barbaro. It listed other Paramount franchise projects, including a Days of Thunder sequel, a World War Z sequel and Sonic the Hedgehog 4. 4