After the substantial success of Fast Five this year, making more than half a billion dollars (more than any of the first four films), Dwayne Johnson (a.k.a. The Rock) is circling a role in the sequel to 2009’s G.I. Joe: The Rise of The Cobra, Deadline reports.
Very much likely to return for the sequel is Channing Tatum, who’s been a rising star in the past few years, and is set to be taking a lead role opposite Jonah Hill in the film adaptation of 21 Jump Street next year.
The Rise of the Cobra received mixed reviews, but still managed to gross just over $300m. from a $175m. budget, which is nothing to turn your nose up to. Stephen Sommers, the director of the first film, will not be returning to direct, and instead the film will be helmed, in 3-D, by Jon M. Chu, who directed the 3-D Justin Bieber: Never Say Never documentary, as well as the second and third Step Up films.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, an even bigger rising star than Tatum, has said that he won’t be returning as The Commander for the sequel. But Ray Park (X-Men, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace) will be reprising his role as Snake-Eyes.
Back in April last year, Collider announced that Zombieland’s scribes, Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, were hired to write Cobra Strikes, and given how amazing Zombieland is, I think the sequel could definitely be something to look forward to.
As Deadline notes, with the Star Trek sequel having to be pushed back from the summer 2012 schedule, Cobra Strikes could well be primed and ready to fill the slot left open. Given the sheer machismo that Johnson naturally exhibits, he could certainly become a fan favourite in the upcoming sequel. His character’s name is set to be called Roadblock, which just conjures up an image of something immovable, unbreakable, which is exactly what you think of when you think of Johnson.
