It looks like Paramount has been strategically shuffling around some of its theatrical releases for this year due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In a recent update, the studio revealed new release dates for multiple highly-anticipated films, including Top Gun: Maverick (November 19, 2021), Mission: Impossible 7 (May 22, 2022), and Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins (July 23, 2o21).
According to Deadline, Snake Eyes, in particular, was moved up a few months from its original October 22 release date because it would make more sense for the youth-oriented action film to be a summer blockbuster. The studio could be taking notes from its first installment of the series, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, which also had a summer release. It opened on August 7, 2009, to $54.7 million in the U.S. and eventually went on to gross $302.4 million worldwide.
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That said, Marvel's Black Widow solo film is also expected to debut in theatres this July 9, so the two films will potentially be fighting for the box office crown. It will be interesting to see which one will come out on top, considering both films have similar subject matter. While not much has been revealed about the plot of the film, we know that it will follow Henry Golding's Snake Eyes, the ninja from the G.I. Joe Hasbro toy line who served as a recon ranger in the jungles of Southeast Asia. Joining him in the cast is Andrew Koji as Storm Shadow, Samara Weaving as Scarlett, Haruka Abe as Akiko, and Úrsula Corberó as the Baronness.
Recent toy leaks from the Hasbro Pulse Fan Fest may offer an early glimpse into the looks of these characters in the upcoming film. From the looks of the figurines, it seems that the character designs will not stray too far from the source material, with Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow donning their iconic black and white ninja suits, respectively.
If anything, perhaps the biggest change fans could expect to see is a face reveal for Snake Eyes. Traditionally, he does not show his face in order to conceal his scars and burns, but since his action figure includes the sculpt of an unmasked head, there's a possibility that we'll be seeing a lot more of Snake Eyes' face than usual.
Golding celebrated the new release date with an unboxing video of his very own action figure. He was clearly delighted at the result, saying that he was surprised the action figure "even got the beard there, too."
Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins will debut this July 23, 2021.
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Source: Deadline