With G.I. Joe: Retaliation now available on VOD and hitting Blu-ray/DVD next week, I was able to sit down with director Jon M. Chu last weekend for an exclusive video interview.  However, with Chu returning to direct G.I. Joe 3, I used a lot of my time talking about the next installment and what fans can expect.  Some of the highlights he told me were:

  • Bruce Willis and Dwayne Johnson are returning.
  • The release date is still being figured out.
  • Regarding the script, they're currently "narrowing down the writer."
  • On Retaliation, they learned that fans were okay with stretching things a little further, so now they can “double down on the adventure part of this movie.”  He cautions that they won’t go sci-fi, but they can “push the boundaries of the world a bit more.”
  • They're not sure if they're going to shoot in 3D and/or IMAX, but everything's on the table.  Says there are some benefits to post-converting.
  • They learned on Retaliation that it's hard to have a lot of characters, but it would be fun to see some new Joes joining the team.
  • I asked if he ever thought about combining the worlds of Transformers and G.I. Joe since they’re both owned by Hasbro. Says he would love to, as long as the reality of their worlds matches.

In addition to the highlights above, Chu talked a lot about what's on the Retaliation Blu-ray, the legacy of G.I. Joe and how they can incorporate some of those things in the third film, working with Hasbro, Masters of the Universe, what he collects, and how he wants to hear from the fans regarding what they want to see in the third installment.  If you're a G.I. Joe fan, I think you'll really enjoy the interview.  Watch it after the jump.

Jon M. Chu Time Index:

  • :09 Talks about all the people waiting to get his autograph.
  • :35 The fan reaction when he signed on to direct G.I. Joe: Retaliation and earning their respect.
  • 1:07 What he learned from making Retaliation and why that excites him for G.I. Joe 3.
  • 1:41 Release date for G.I. Joe 3. It hasn’t been announced yet, but he says Dwayne and Bruce only have a certain amount of time in their schedules—confirming that both will be back.  “Do we need to get going? It would be really awesome to get going now.”
  • 2:11 Says they’ve discussed a variety of dates, but whether it’ll be in summer or not is up to the studio.
  • 2:30 Will they be shooting in 3D and/or IMAX? Says everything’s on the table, but having both shot 3D and post-converted, there are some benefits to post-converting.
  • 3:13 What did he learn from the fan reaction to the first film? Says he learned that they’re okay with stretching things a little further, noting that they can “double down on the adventure part of this movie.”  He cautions that they won’t go sci-fi, but they can “push the boundaries of the world a bit more.”
  • 4:25 The legacy of G.I. Joe and how they can incorporate some of those things in the third film.
  • 5:04 Will we see the recruiting of a bunch of new Joes in the third film? Says they learned on Retaliation that it’s hard to have a lot of characters, but “there may be some really great moments like that.”
  • 5:32 The G.I. Joe: Retaliation Blu-ray.  Says there are a bunch of behind-the-scenes looks at how they crafted the Himalayas sequence, how they designed Cobra Commander, and more.
  • jon-m-chu-g-i-joe-3
    6:15 Hasbro’s involvement in G.I. Joe 3. Says when they bring up an idea that they saw in the comic book, the people at Hasbro are able to say, “did you know that there are three different versions of this?”
  • 7:02 Is someone writing the script for G.I. Joe 3 now? They’re currently narrowing down the writer.
  • 7:55 Has he thought about combining the worlds of Transformers and G.I. Joe since they’re both owned by Hasbro? Says he would love to, as long as the reality of their worlds matches.
  • 8:40 Other future projects. He’s still working on Masters of the Universe: “we’ll see how that matches up to my timing on G.I. Joe 3 and all that stuff, and where we’re gonna be with that.” Says he’s also doing a lot of digital things.
  • 9:25 Looking back on G.I. Joe, what does he wish he could tell himself before he started? Says he was lucky to fall into an amazing cast and crew. He would tell himself to relax and not stress too much.
  • 10:22 What does he collect? Says he has a room full of toys back at his parent’s house.
  • 11:20 Says he wants to hear from fans what they want from G.I. Joe 3. Tweet him @jonmchu.