Here's Why A 'Transformers' And 'G.I. Joe' Crossover Movie Hasn't Happened Yet
In the pages of comic books, the Transformers and G.I. Joe franchises have crossed over for many adventures since first meeting in 1987. So why haven't we seen the Autobots team up with the Real American Heroes on the big screen? Wouldn't that be like printing money?
While making the publicity rounds for the upcoming Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins movie arriving in theaters this weekend, Transformers and G.I. Joe film franchise producer Lorenzo Di Bonaventura explained why an epic Transformers G.I. Joe crossover movie hasn't happened yet. However, it sounds like it could be a possibility in the future.
Lorenzo Di Bonaventura recently spoke with Uproxx about Snake Eyes, which sounds like it's going to be another disappointment in the G.I. Joe franchise. Even after years of dead-end G.I. Joe movies and overlong Transformers sequel, fans have still expressed interest in seeing both franchises together on the big screen. But for some reason, Paramount Pictures hasn't ever been on board. Di Bonaventura said:
"You know, the truth of matter is, the studio has always been against that. Every regime that's been at Paramount is against it because it's taking two franchises and making them one, but I think it's inevitable."
In interview, Uproxx reporter Mike Ryan talks about the possibility of another crossover between Jurassic Park and Fast and Furious, an idea that our own Chris Evangelista was getting psyched about back in 2017. More recently, the idea has gained traction with fans, and it's something that franchise director Justin Lin hasn't ruled out.
As silly as it sounds, that kind of wild crossover would make crazy amounts of money, and it could be a great time in theaters. So what is Paramount's hold-up with Transformers and G.I. Joe? You can probably blame another crossover for their hesitation.
Alien vs. Predator Ruined Everything
Lorenzo Di Bonaventura proposed one arguable reason and one good reason why the studio might be leery of Transformers and G.I. Joe crossing over:
"I just think that we haven't run out of storytelling yet to require us to put them together in a sense. I don't know about you, but Alien vs. Predator, in a way, besmirched both of them."
Haven't run out of storytelling yet? I don't know about that. Sure, there are plenty of avenues from both Transformers and G.I. Joe that haven't been used on the big screen yet. But doesn't it seem like fans have been losing interest? This would be the perfect way to shake things up and bring in fans of both Transformers and G.I. Joe together.
However, the Alien vs. Predator excuse is a valid one. Both of the Alien vs. Predator films are cinematic toilet paper, and they've left a stain on each of the franchises involved. But let's not forget how much fans enjoyed the lunacy of Freddy vs. Jason. At the end of the day, Transformers and G.I. Joe feel like two franchises that would work extremely well together. The Transformers franchise basically already had its own version of a G.I. Joe squad with characters played by Josh Duhamel and Tyrese Gibson.
Director Steven Caple Jr. Could Make It Happen
Lorenzo Di Bonaventura said the Transformers G.I. Joe crossover movie is something that gets brought up a lot. The producer said, "It comes up almost every single time we start to debate what the next script is in either one of them. Then it gets pushed aside and then it'll come up again." In fact, the most recent mention came from director Steven Caple Jr., who is directing the upcoming Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. Di Bonaventura explained:
"Steven Caple, who's directing Transformers right now, is a huge G.I. Joe fan, too. And he was like, 'Why aren't you doing that?' Everyone was like, 'Well, try to make a Transformers movie really good. Then we'll talk about that.' Maybe Steven will be the one to crack through because he loves them both so much."
Steven Caple Jr. will be the second director after Bumblebee filmmaker Travis Knight to tackle a live-action Transformers movie after Michael Bay wrapped up his tenure on the franchise with The Last Knight in 2017. Since he's introducing a whole new side of the Transformers world with Beast Wars characters entering the fray, it's not out of the question to think he could bring Transformers and G.I. Joe together. Meanwhile, we're waiting for a Fast and Furious and Transformers crossover, which has the potential to give us double the Tyrese Gibson.