TRANSFORMERS and G.I. JOE Producer Admits They Don't Know What They're Doing with Possible Crossover
The best way to plan for a failed franchise is to not plan at all. That is exactly what Transformers and G.I. Joe franchise producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura is admitting when it comes to a possible crossover. This was always my big worry with these franchises, that Paramount Pictures has no real plan for anything. They’re just throwing stuff together without any thought or real plan. If you haven’t seen Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, I do get into some spoiler territory.
At the end of the film, Noah (Anthony Ramos) is offered a job working for G.I. Joe by Agent Burke (Michael Kelly). This sets up a franchise crossover, which is something that has happened before in the comics. It’s also something that fans have been wanting to see; it could actually be pretty awesome! The thing is, it has to be done right! It has to be meticulously planned to make it happen the right way. But, that’s not what’s going on here.
During a recent interview with Variety, Di Bonaventura said: "The fans want a lot of things; if we do it and we don’t figure it out well, they’re going to be disappointed. It took us a while to figure out the Maximals, and now we have the hint of how to begin the Joes’ story.”
He then went on to say that they haven’t figured it out: "We don’t plan that far ahead. We react to what the audience is reacting to, so in a way we can please them, but also in a way it makes it feel fresh. We expect there’s going to be some allegiance and they’re going to go on some kind of mission together."
Ugh. That is not the way. How long has this guy been producing movies, and he still doesn’t know how to properly produce them? This is so frustrating! As you know, Marvel plans out their film years in advance, they have a plan in place, but they also leave that plan open for adjustments as needed. It’s ok to come up with a grand plan!
Director Steven Caple Jr. went on to tease that the future of the Transformers and G.I. Joe could bring in more obscure Joes, and even head to outer space. He said: "There are sections of the Joes that haven’t been utilized and characters that have never been touched, and I’m excited about that. I will say this about what’s next: We have spent a lot of time on Earth and I’m curious as to what else is out there."
That’s great, I’m fine with playing with more obscure G.I. Joe characters, but you still need a plan! They should have just started from scratch on both franchises and made a few G.I. Joe films and a few Transformers films that all lead up to a crossover. But, right now they are just throwing shit together and seeing what sticks. That’s not how you make great movies.
It’s a shame that Paramount Pictures isn’t interested in making great Transformers and G.I. Joe movies and that they are settling for mediocrity.