Nordling here.
Looks like Paramount's found its director for the new G.I. Joe film. It was between F. Gary Gray and Jon Chu, according to Deadline, and I'd imagine that it was the box office success of JUSTIN BIEBER: NEVER SAY NEVER that was the deciding factor, because Jon Chu got the gig. It's not certain yet if the film will be in 3D, but I'd imagine that it would be since Chu's familiar with the process. I enjoyed the first film. It was goofy and fun, everything a GI JOE movie is supposed to be. I don't know what direction Chu will take the franchise, but if we get Joseph Gordon-Levitt back as Cobra Commander, I'm there. Channing Tatum and Ray Park too.
As far as the Justin Bieber film goes, I'm a firm believer of Roger Ebert's credo that "a film is not about what it is about, but how it is about it." You may not have found the subject matter interesting enough, but a good filmmaker can make a great film from any subject matter. I'm not saying NEVER SAY NEVER is a great film because I haven't seen it, but many reviewers that I follow did like it for what it was. For them, as a film, it's successful.
If a film tells its story in an engaging manner, it could be about anything, like, say, a startup Internet company, or three organ donor kids, or childhood toys. We here at AICN are believers in film advocacy, and we want every film to be great when we sit down in that darkened theater, with the empty screen full of potential. Every film deserves that.
I wish Jon Chu the best in his new project and I look forward to seeing it.
Nordling, out.
