'G.I. Joe: Retaliation' Director Says Release Delay Is For 3D Conversion Only

What's the real story behind the delay of Paramount's G.I. Joe: Retaliation? Ever since the studio abruptly pushed the film to March 2013, just weeks before the planned opening later this month, there have been rumors about bad test screening reactions and a studio desire for more Channing Tatum.

We know the film is being converted to 3D, and there have been suppositions that the process is simply to bolster the box office take thanks to 3D surcharges, or that the conversion is a smokescreen to cover fixing other issues with the film.

Director Jon M. Chu has been quiet through the past few weeks — it can't be a pleasant thing to see any film you've worked on go through the wringer like this — and there have been stories of a lack of communication between he and Paramount. Now Chu seems to have reached out to one site, and he says that 3D is really the focus of the delay.

The G.I. Joe fansite General's Joes paraphrases a reported email exchange with Chu, in which the site says the director said the delay is about doing a non-rushed 3D conversion, and that new scenes would be crafted to make good use of 3D. There is no mention of Channing Tatum, and while the subject of reshoots is mentioned, the only point brought up there is the use of 3D.

The site doesn't print the actual email exchange so we can't quote from it.

With the studio line being that the delay is for 3D conversion, we can't really expect Chu to come out with any statements counter to that, especially if he wants to be at the helm during those reshoots.