New 'G.I. Joe' Trailer with Channing Tatum

A new trailer for the delayed G.I. Joe: Retaliation has been released, and it displays a more prominent role for Channing Tatum.   Tatum’s early demise in the original version of the film was the reason for the reshoots; he’d become a star since the first film and it was determined that audiences wanted to see more of him.   It looks like the revamped film, which is now set to release March 29th, accomplishes that goal. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=46SycbqzGyA

Universal Moves 'G.I. Joe: Retaliation' to March, 2013

Paramount has moved G.I. Joe: Retaliation, which was slated to debut on June 29th, to March 29th, 2013 in order to add 3-D in an attempt to bolster foreign sales. Paramount is giving up one of the prime dates of the summer and Universal quickly stepped in to help fill the late June void with the buzz-generating Ted, an "R" rated comedy by Seth MacFarlane about a foul-mouthed Teddy Bear that stars Mila Kunis and Mark Wahlberg.

Paramount has already spent quite a bit promoting the $125 million G.I. Joe sequel including a pricy Super Bowl ad and several trailers. Based on the Hasbro property, G.I. Joe: Retaliation was directed by Jon M. Chu and adds Bruce Willis and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson to a solid ensemble cast.

As Deadline points out, Paramount has had some luck in the past changing release dates. The studio delayed the release of Martin Scorsese’s Shutter Island and managed to give the director his box office best.

Paramount isn’t the only studio that has delayed a studio tentpole that was supposed to debut in 2012 in order to add TV. Already smarting from what appears to be a considerable loss with Battleship, Universal has moved the Keanu Reeves-starring 47 Ronin to 2013 and is citing 3-D as the reason. However Hollywood rumor has it that the studio is afraid the $200 million plus samurai epic is too risky to open in the same year in which Battleship has already put a major dent in the Universal’s bottom line.

"The Rock" Snags Two Comic Book Roles

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson solidified his star status with roles in Journey 2: The Mysterious Island and Fast Five. In both films The Rock’s presence has resulted in far better box office than the previous movies in those franchises in which the former wrestler-turned actor did not have a role.

This summer Johnson will get a chance at the “franchise-improving” trifecta as he joins the cast of G.I. Joe: Retaliation in an attempt to heat up that lukewarm Hasbro-based franchise.

It’s clear that those in charge of casting at the major studios have noticed the effect that ‘The Rock’s” presence can have in the right film, and the mesomorphic thespian’s movie dance card is quickly filling up. Variety reports that The Rock will play the classic Greek strongman Hercules in Brett Ratner’s long-gestating adaptation of Steve Moore’s Radical Comics graphic novel Hercules: The Thracian War.

Almost simultaneously Deadline reported that Johnson has signed on to star in another comic book-based film, Ciudad, an intense action thriller based on an upcoming graphic novel from Oni Press written by Joe and Anthony Russo (with Ande Parks). The Russo brothers will direct Ciudad from a script written by Joe. Although they have directed one movie, You, Me and Dupree, the Russos are better known for their work on TV series such as Community, Happy Endings, and Arrested Development. Ciudad, a tough crime drama about a black market mercenary hired to rescue the kidnapped daughter of a Brazilian drug lord, represents something of a departure for the Russos, though not for Johnson, who should be able to ease into the movie’s key role without a hitch.