'Justin Bieber: Never Say Never' Director Jon Chu Tapped For 'G.I. Joe 2'

'I still think there's a movie out there that can be done for the real 'Joe' fans,' Chu said of helming sequel.
By Shawn Adler

Jon Chu
Photo: Francois Durand/Getty Images

He's survived gunfights, and bombings, and enough doomsday machines to make James Bond blush, but action icon G.I. Joe may have finally met one affliction he couldn't counter: Bieber Fever.

"Justin Bieber: Never Say Never" director Jon Chu is going from helming a flick about a boy wonder to helming one about a toy wonder, with news that the 31-year-old has been chosen to direct "G.I. Joe 2," according to a report on Deadline.

As Paramount's first choice for the action sequel, Chu beat out rumored competitors Gary Grey and Jaume Collet-Serra.

For Chu, the chance to direct "G.I. Joe 2" is a chance to fulfill a lifelong dream, having been a fan of the character since he was a little child.

"'Joe' is something I've loved since I was a kid," Chu confessed to MTV News when word of his possible involvement first leaked. "My era was 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,' 'G.I. Joe' and 'Transformers.' When 'Joe' changed their theme song from the old style 'Go Joe!' to 'Got to get tough, go Joe!' That was the era I was in. Those are the fun, glory years that I remember."

Directed by Stephen Sommers and starring, among others, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Channing Tatum, and Sienna Miller, "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" was released in 2009 to over $300 million worldwide but mostly middling reviews.

While it is unclear which of the stars will return for the sequel, Chu believes there's a definite opportunity to build on the first film's successes, while possibly taking the sequel in another direction.

"I still think there's a movie out there that can be done for the real 'Joe' fans," he said, "the one we've been waiting for that hasn't been done before."

That other direction almost certainly won't include casting Justin Bieber. Asked if he could envision the pop superstar in fatigues, Chu simply laughed.

"That's hilarious," he chuckled.

Currently in its third week of release, "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never" has earned nearly $60 million at the domestic box office. A "Director's Fan Cut" of the film with extended footage is currently in release for an exclusive one-week run.

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