Scripts are the backbone of a movie and hold the ability to make or break it, and for several actors, a good script is often more alluring and important than a healthy paycheck. And it seems Channing Tatum might fall in this bracket too, as the 21 Jump Street actor once refused to work in an enormous franchise due to the lack of good writing, and regrets getting attached to it.
The actor’s initial decision to refuse to work in the movie wasn’t entertained by the Studio executives, as the actor revealed that he was forced into starring in 2009’s G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.
Channing Tatum passed G.I. Joe 7 times before getting forced into the movie
Despite being a fan of the original G.I. Joe IP, Channing Tatum originally declined the offer to star in this huge franchise due to creative differences. Although the actor eventually did star in the movie as the lead, the actor revealed he “was pushed into doing that movie” by the studio. Following his distaste for the script of the movie, the actor allegedly passed it 7 times before eventually signing up for the role. However, he made sure that this wasn’t the case for the sequel and demanded to be killed off at the beginning of the movie. He said,
“The first film, I passed on seven times. The studio had an option on me, and I had to do the movie. When it came to the second one, I obviously just didn’t want to do that either, so yes, I asked to be killed off in the first ten minutes of the movie.”
Following his exit from the franchise, Dwayne Johnson was then brought in the lead and surprisingly, the sequel did much better in the box office than its predecessor. However, following his love for the original IP, Channing Tatum revealed that instead of the lead, he wanted to play the role of Snake Eyes.
Channing Tatum initially wanted to play the role of Snake Eyes
Although the bad script was one of the major reasons behind the actor’s disdain for the franchise, Channing Tatum expressed that initially, he was excited to star in the movie. Following his childhood love for G.I. Joe, the actor asked the studios if he could play the role of Snake Eyes, which was his favorite character, as he wasn’t sure if he could see himself in the role of G.I. Joe. He said,
“The studio calls up and they’re like, ‘Hey, we got a movie for you, we’re going to send it to you.’ And they send it to you, and it’s ‘G.I. Joe.’ And I love G.I. Joe: ‘Can I play Snake Eyes?’ And they’re like, ‘No, you’re not playing Snake Eyes, you’re playing G.I. Joe.’ The script wasn’t any good. And I didn’t want to do something that I was a fan of”
But despite the Studio’s struggle to make the movie a hit with Channing Tatum in the lead, things didn’t work out, as the first movie was bashed by the critics and fans.
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra is available to stream on Netflix.
Source: Vanity Fair
