Topline
Paramount is developing a new “G.I. Joe” movie with screenwriter Max Landis attached to pen the new film—though Landis hasn’t worked in Hollywood in years after he was accused of sexual abuse during the “Me Too” era, and he’s not the first “canceled” filmmaker whose career Paramount is reviving.
Max Landis hasn’t worked in Hollywood in years following sexual abuse allegations. (Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images)
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Key Facts
Landis and actor-writer Danny McBride are working on two separate scripts for “G.I. Joe” movies, multiple outlets reported Friday afternoon, which may eventually be blended into a single script, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Landis, the writer behind the 2012 box office hit “Chronicle” and the 2017 Netflix original “Bright,” hasn’t worked on a feature film since he was accused of sexual abuse by multiple women between 2017 and 2019.
Landis’ last writing credit on a feature film was “Shadow in the Cloud” in 2020, but he was removed from the production following the allegations and the script was rewritten, though he was given a writing credit due to Writers Guild of America rules.
Paramount also gave a comeback shot to Brett Ratner, the once-prolific producer-director known for directing the “Rush Hour” film series, announcing in November it would distribute an upcoming fourth installment with Ratner attached to direct, reportedly after President Donald Trump pushed for Paramount to revive the franchise.
The “Rush Hour” project solidifies Ratner’s comeback after he directed the “Melania” documentary, which was produced on a huge $75 million budget from Amazon, including production and marketing costs.
What Do We Know About Allegations Against Max Landis?
In 2017, during the “Me Too” movement and around the time Landis’ movie “Bright” debuted on Netflix, actress Anna Akana wrote in a since-deleted tweet: “Written by a psychopath who sexually abused and assaults women, right? Cool,” referring to “Bright.” Weeks earlier, writer Allie Goertz, then an editor for MAD Magazine, said in a post on X: “I can’t imagine who is more scared in a post-Weinstein world than a famous director’s son,” fueling speculation it may be about Landis, who is the son of director John Landis. Akana responded to Goertz’s tweet in another now-deleted post, saying: “Believe you. Support you.” In June 2019, actress Whitney Moore said in a post on Instagram Landis did “horrific, inhumane things” to her. The Daily Beast published a story in June 2019 including allegations from eight women that Landis had emotionally or sexually abused them. One day after the Daily Beast’s report was published, Landis was dropped by his manager. Landis never faced any charges in connection with these allegations, and in a YouTube video in 2023, he said he is “deeply sorry to the people I’ve hurt” and said he had “awful, messy relationships where I was a toxic partner.”
Tangent
Jonathan Majors, the once-rising star whose acting career was derailed following his conviction for abusing his former girlfriend, also landed a comeback role this week in a still-untitled film produced by Ben Shapiro and his right-wing Daily Wire media company. The Daily Wire has also attracted some ostracized Hollywood figures to its projects, including the MMA fighter-turned-actress Gina Carano, whose career was halted after she was fired from Disney’s “The Mandalorian” over controversial tweets. Carano was fired after she made a tweet comparing “hating someone for their political views” to the persecution of Jews in the Holocaust, which some interpreted as a statement on the treatment of conservatives in America. The Daily Wire also hired Roseanne Barr for a voice role in “Mr. Birchum” in 2024, one of her only roles after she was fired from the “Roseanne” reboot in 2018 for making a tweet widely condemned as racist.
Further Reading
Jonathan Majors Plots Acting Comeback After Assault Conviction—With Daily Wire-Produced Movie (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/conormurray/2026/02/27/paramount-taps-another-filmmaker-canceled-during-me-too-for-new-gi-joe-movie/
