With the writers’ strike killing the announcement of new film projects, the majority of news about upcoming films comes in the form of casting announcements. Although it doesn’t start shooting until mid-February, the first actor cast in director Stephen Sommers live action adaptation of comic book/cartoon/toy franchise GI Joe has been announced.
Sienna Miller has been cast as “as a raven-haired baroness and sexy femme fatale skilled in espionage,” according to today’s Variety. Although the story doesn’t name the character, anyone familiar with the series will recognize that the character description refers to the Baroness, one of the leaders of the terrorist group Cobra, GI Joe’s nemesis.
Although sometimes overshadowed by her tabloid antics, Miller has displayed respectable acting chops. True, some fan boys will probably just hope she looks good in the character’s tight leather outfit, glasses and a dye job to color blonde tresses jet black. But based on her work in last year’s Factory Girl shows that she is capable of handling any potential dramatic meat the screenplay might offer. (Though I doubt there will be much there.)
More troubling for the film is the choice of director. While Sommer did a good job with 1999’s The Mummy, his last film, 2004’s Van Helsing, is a prime example of how unrestrained excess is not necessarily a good thing.