Max Landis (max landis) Returns to Work on Paramount’s G.I. Joe Treatment
Paramount has tapped max landis to write an early treatment for a new G. I. Joe feature, part of a dual-track development in which Danny McBride is also writing a separate script. The move revives a controversial figure’s career amid the studio’s broader effort to reboot the toy-line franchise.
Max Landis’ role at Paramount
The studio has engaged Max Landis to produce a treatment for a fresh G. I. Joe adaptation. The assignment places Landis on one creative track while another writer develops a second script; the studio plans to try to blend elements from both efforts as development progresses. Lorenzo di Bonaventura is attached as producer on the G. I. Joe films, continuing his involvement with the franchise.
max landis and the Danny McBride script
Max Landis will work in tandem with Danny McBride, who is writing a separate script. Paramount’s development approach is to have two distinct creative entries that can either be merged or choose one path forward — a strategy the studio has used on other big IP projects in recent years. Studio leadership has indicated a priority to accelerate the G. I. Joe project relative to other tentpole efforts.
Where the franchise stands commercially
Paramount’s previous live-action G. I. Joe efforts have produced mixed results: the first major entry grossed about $302 million against a roughly $175 million production budget, a later installment grossed about $376 million, and a more recent origin film underperformed at roughly $40 million amid challenging release conditions. The studio’s push to retool the property comes after a period of uneven box office returns and a renewed interest in rebooting the brand’s continuity.
How Landis’ past factors into the decision
Landis’s hiring is notable because his career stalled after a wave of allegations of sexual and emotional abuse surfaced in 2019; no criminal charges were filed. He was dropped by his representation at the time and several projects were shelved. In a later online video, Landis acknowledged serious mistakes in relationships and described himself as a toxic partner. He has continued creating long-form online monologues and takes on superhero material, including a character-driven piece that imagined a persecuted version of a comic-book hero.
What to watch next for the reboot
Paramount’s development schedule will determine the next visible milestones: word that the two treatments are complete, any decision to merge them, and formal greenlighting are the immediate items that would move the project into preproduction. Studio leadership has signaled an urgency to position G. I. Joe ahead of another high-priority video-game adaptation on the slate, making the timeline one to monitor. If the studio blends the scripts, the creative balance between the two writers’ approaches will shape whether the new film aims for a straight action reboot, a fresh continuity, or a hybrid concept.
- Key takeaways: Paramount is developing two G. I. Joe scripts in parallel; Max Landis is on one track and Danny McBride on the other.
- Landis’s past includes both commercial success as a screenwriter and public allegations that stalled his career; no charges were filed.
- The studio plans to try merging the two treatments and is prioritizing G. I. Joe relative to other tentpoles.
Details such as production timelines, release dates, and how the studio will integrate the two treatments remain unclear at this time. The coming weeks and any official production notices will clarify whether the dual-track approach yields a unified screenplay and a path to greenlight.
