IP is king and studios will milk that IP for all its worth even if there’s not much interest in moving forward from audiences. Folks out here aren’t clamoring for anotherG.I. Joeor to know the backstory ofSnake Eyes, but they’re going to get both. At least they’ll have a handsome and charming lead actor in the role asTHRreports thatHenry Goldinghas signed on to play the mysterious ninja. Per THR, the script, written byEvan Spiliotopoulous, “is said to center on Snake Eyes seeking revenge for his father’s death by joining ninja clan, in the process finding acceptance.”
In the past twoG.I. Joemovies, Snake Eyes’ face was never seen, he never spoke, and he was played by stuntmanRay Park, so he could do cool flips and stuff. He’s also mortal enemies with Storm Shadows, a ninja who is also his blood brother and presumably will factor into the plot of this spinoff somehow.
Robert Schwentke, who made two badDivergentmovies before the studio abandoned ship on that franchise and, will helm theSnake Eyesspinoff withLorenzo di BonaventuraandBrian Goldnerproducing.
Personally, I’m not opposed to Henry Golding being in big action blockbusters. But he could probably do a lot better than the dregs of aG.I. Joefranchise that isn’t going to be revitalized with a boring journeyman like Schwentke at the helm. Golding should be at the forefront of something new and exciting instead of the fumes of a dead franchise that’s only continuing because Viacom needs to justify to its shareholders that they’re not wasting theG.I. JoeIP.
If you’re looking to see Golding in more exciting movies, he’ll next be seen alongside Emilia Clarke inLast Christmasand he’s also co-starring in Guy Ritchie’s next picture,The Gentlemen.
