Stephen Sommers Returning To Direct G.I. Joe Sequel

And now for news that nobody else but me will be excited about.

Last we heard about the G.I. Joe sequel, Zombieland writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick were hired to pen the screenplay. It was also assumed that the main cast would be returning, seeing as how they're contractually obligated to do so. Director Stephen Sommers, meanwhile, was not contracted to return, and after rumors that he had been fired off the first film following a disastrous test screening, there was a lingering question of whether the studio would even want him back at the helm.

Well, perhaps those rumors really were bogus. Stephen Sommers will be back for the next G.I. Joe. More after the break.

The news comes from The Wrap, who also claim that the studio is pleased with the draft that writers Reese and Wernick whipped up. That's nice to hear, but I can't imagine it being too difficult to come up with a serviceable follow-up to G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. As much as I enjoyed the Saturday morning cartoonishness of that movie, it didn't exactly set the bench very high in terms of creative storytelling and complex characters. As long as they found a fun way to top the absurdity of the first film, I'll be satisfied.

As for Stephen Sommers, he may not be a great filmmaker, but he's perfectly suited to the goofy world of G.I. Joe, and I look forward him dishing out another round of ninja combat, ridiculous gadgetry and costumed special agents spouting off silly lines like "Deploy the SHARCs!" And of course, more scenery-chewing hamminess from Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who after being set up in the first film to have a much larger role in the sequel, is by far the best justification for the existence of another G.I. Joe movie.