Perhaps being the world’s biggest and busiest movie star does come with a few problems after all, as a new report from LRM confirms that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson may be the reason why Paramount has yet to take major moves forward with the third G.I. Joe installment.
Three years ago, Johnson joined the live-action G.I. Joe movie franchise, which stumbled right out of the gate with 2009’s poorly received G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, with G.I. Joe: Retaliation, a sequel that performed much better at the box office and with critics than the first offering. In fact, the film is one of many in The Rock’s catalog, along with Fast Five and Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, that helped him earn the nickname of “franchise Viagra.”
Ever since, G.I. Joe 3 has been in development, with D.J. Caruso (Disturbia) filling in for Retaliation director Jon M. Chu and Akiva Goldsman (The Da Vinci Code) signing on to lead a writers room.
The new entry in the series would continue to follow the adventures of Johnson’s character Roadblock, but the actor’s extremely busy schedule is reportedly stopping the studio from pinning down an exact filming and release date. This news was confirmed at the Toronto International Film Festival by Retaliation actor Byung-hun Lee, who will be starring in The Magnificent Seven later this month.
Lee said, “I heard from the studio that there’s a possibility to do the third one, but I think they’re waiting for the actors’ schedules. They’re arranging the schedules for the actors, especially Dwayne Johnson.”
It should come as no surprise that Johnson can’t find the time for G.I. Joe 3, considering how between now and 2019 he is set to star in Moana, Fast 8, Baywatch, Journey 3: From the Earth to the Moon, Jumanji, Shazam! and more.
Without a doubt, holding off on G.I. Joe 3 until Johnson frees up is a good move, as nearly every movie he touches ends up bringing in a massive amount of money at the box office. Truth be told, he is one of the few movie stars today whose name alone brings people to the theater.
Originally published September 10, 2016. Updated October 24, 2022.
