Larry Kasanoff's production company Threshold Entertainment has the rights to a live-action G.I. Joe movie. The last rumors I heard (over a year ago) was that they were starting pre-production work on it. However, since then, it seems to have disappeared from the radar, and I can't even find any mention of it on the web anymore. They may have lost the rights to it; I don't know.

Threshold, BTW, is the company responsible for the Mortal Kombat movies and TV show. I'll let you decide if that's a good or bad thing. They also own the rights to several other franchises, including Duke Nukem and Heavy Metal.

I hated Thundercats. My mindset as a child was that at least Transformers and G.I. Joe had some basis in reality. Talking, walking kitty cats? I mean, come on. My young mind did, however, have some difficulties with certain aspects of the Transformers and G.I. Joe cartoons:

1. The Transformers were all the same relative size in robot form, but when they changed into vehicles they somehow grew incredibly larger so as to be able to hold various other Transformers. I didn't like that. Also, Megatron would somehow shrink so as to be small enough to be wielded by other Transformers.

2. No humans were ever shot or hurt in the G.I. Joe cartoon (Duke's run-in with Serpentor's snake was quite a shock to me). That was the purpose of the robotic armies of Cobra, the B.A.T.S. (as I recall they were called). They were always blown apart, shot down, sliced up, and otherwise mangled by the good guys. Even when planes and jets were shot down it would always show the pilot ejecting and deploying a parachute. I know that they were trying to keep the show as non-violent as possible (hence the laser bullets that came out of weapons instead of real bullets--I thought that was an "awesome" aspect of the show), and that is something I respect now as an adult, but it kind of bothered me as a kid.

3. The boom box Decepticon, Soundwave I beleive he was called, had an unlimited suply of transforming casette tapes inside of him--he would eject several at a time in a confrontation. Where did he keep them all? I could only stick one at a time in my toy!

What great nostalgia! Ah, to be a child again! In retrospect the Transformers and G.I. Joe cartoon series were probably just elaborate commercials to sell toys to children. It sure did work on me.

My ideal G.I. Joe cast and crew

Director:Simon West/Stephen Sommers
Producer: Aside from Bruckheimer, whose a trademark producer?
Screeplay:Kevin Smith, provided he watched it.

JOES
Duke...Matthew McConaghey or Dennis Quaid
Flint...Russell Crowe
Lady J...Ashley Judd
Scarlett...Gillian Anderson or Drew Barrymore
Snake Eyes...whoever's capable
Shipwreck...Hugh Jackman

Cobras
Cobra Commander...Whoever will go behind the mask, maybe the voice of Christoper Walken
Destro...Arnold Vosloo
Baroness...Angelina Jolie or Rachel Weisz
Zartan...Ray Park
Tomax and Xamot...Sam Rockwell, bad guy from Charlie's Angels

Leave out the Cobra-La and Serpentor stuff, go for early days old school!