Bradley Cooper and Danny McBride’s G.I. JOE Movie Gets 2028 Release Date as PARANORMAL ACTIVITY Moves to Halloween 2027

Paramount has locked in release dates for two major franchises, with Bradley Cooper and Danny McBride bringing G.I. Joeback to theaters in 2028, while the next Paranormal Activitymovie is moving to a much more fitting Halloween release in 2027.

The new G.I. Joe movie will hit theaters on October 20, 2028, with McBride directing and Cooper starring as Duke, one of the most popular characters from the Hasbro franchise. It's an interesting combination of talent, especially with McBride taking charge of a major action franchise.

McBride also co-wrote the screenplay with Jeff Fradley and John Carcieri. The film is being described as a reimagining of the property, which began as a Hasbro toy line before expanding into comic books, animated shows, and three live-action movies.

McBride offered the following details: “You're following Duke and a group of other Joes. There's that town in the comics, Springfield, which is a town that's secretly all Cobra. That is where our film takes place. We have some pretty interesting people lining up to be in it, too. I don't want to get ahead of myself, but it looks like it's going to be pretty fun."

Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Mark Vahradian, and Zev Foreman are producing the movie for Hasbro Entertainment.

McBride is an unexpected choice to direct G.I. Joe, but that's part of what makes this project interesting. He's best known for his comedy work, so it'll be fun to see what he does with a franchise built around military action, larger-than-life heroes, and colorful villains. Cooper stepping into the role of Duke also gives this new take some serious star power.

Meanwhile, Paramount and the newly renamed Blumhouse Atomic have moved the next Paranormal Activity movie from its original May 21, 2027 release date to October 22, 2027. That's a much better spot for a horror franchise that practically begs to be watched during Halloween season.

Ian Tuason is directing the new installment, which stars Chase Yi, Sonia Mena, and Maya Da Costa. Story details haven't been announced, but the creative team includes several familiar names from the horror world.

Franchise creator Oren Peli returns as a producer through Solana Films, alongside James Wan and Jason Blum for Blumhouse Atomic. Michael Clear and Judson Scott will executive produce for Blumhouse Atomic, with Alayna Glasthal overseeing the project for the company.

The original Paranormal Activity, created by Peli, became a massive success after earning nearly $194 million worldwide on an incredibly small budget. It remains one of the most profitable movies ever made.

The found-footage horror series has since expanded to seven films, collectively earning more than $900 million at the global box office. That's a pretty impressive run for a franchise that started with a few cameras, a suburban house, and some terrifying things happening while people slept.

These release date announcements are also part of a much bigger push from Paramount and Warner Bros., following the major consolidation under Skydance, led by David Ellison.

The combined studio is looking to make the most of its extensive collection of established franchises, with plans to release 30 movies annually.

That includes a new Transformers project with Steven Spielberg attached as a producer, along with sequels to Top Gun, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Star Trek.

On the Warner Bros. side, the studio is developing an Ocean's 11 prequel directed by Cooper, who will also star alongside producer Margot Robbie. More Lord of the Rings movies are in development, along with Gladys, a sequel to the horror hit Weapons.

There's clearly a major focus on bringing recognizable properties back to the big screen, and G.I. Joe and Paranormal Activity are two more pieces of that plan.

I'm particularly curious about what McBride has planned for G.I. Joe. He's certainly not the filmmaker I would've expected to take on the franchise, and that makes me more interested in seeing how it turns out.