Rock will DEFINITELY be involved in Mania. It's pretty apparent them scheduling it a week before the event, the plan is to have Rock promote both during his media tour.
But make no mistake about it, G.I.Joe 2 has an uphill battle with the oncoming shitstorm of negative buzz its delay will garner. You're witnessing cinematic history folks, no film of this magnitude....at least as far as I can remember....has been pushed back a mere month away from release. Don't be suckered into the nonsense that this is just to convert it to 3D. There's several reasons for this move.
Paramount has likely already spent $60-80 million dollars on the marketing alone (the usual amount for tentpole films such as this), there's NO WAY they'd take a hit like that and face the wrath of the press just to do it all over again next year for a boost in 3D ticket sales, not to mention all they and Hasbro will lose in merchandising. The new toyline is probably already on shelves as we speak.
The delay and post conversion along with the expected cross promotion with the WWE is a panic move on their part to recover from the blow Hasbro stupidly dealt them over the weekend with Battleship bombing at the box office. (What a bright idea for an adaptation!) Sure that was Universal's loss, but the stink from that film would've likely haunted Joe come release as far as critics are concerned given Hasbro's connection. But let's be honest for a second, after Rise of Cobra and many stupidly feeling the property is just military propaganda aimed at children, it wasn't gonna do well with the critics anyway.....but still, reason 1.
Reason 2?
Since the news broke yesterday rumors have been popping up of disastrous test screenings, and spoilers that would piss off even the most dedicated G.I.Joe fan....and let's face it, after the first film, to still have faith in this iteration of the the property you gotta be dedicated as hell....even more so knowing that the director of the Step Up and Justin Bieber films was helming Retaliation. I won't spoil it, but let's just say a fan favorite character is supposedly given the finger within the first five minutes and I'm not referring to any of the dead Joes the trailers alluded to.
Don't be surprised if you hear of rewrites and reshoots happening. I'm sure they'll cover it up as "scenes that would enhance the 3D experience", but it's probably much more than that.....and it had better be, because if those spoilers are true, Joe fans will react about as well as X-men fans did to X-men: The Last Stand.
Reason 3?
Spider-man hurting their take. 'Nuff said.
I hope it turns out well, but the move may prove just as disastrous as it could have been sticking with it's original date. Time will tell.
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