Chris Hemsworth is in negotiations to star in Paramount Pictures' untitled Transformers/G.I. Joe crossover movie, based on the popular Hasbro toy lines, Deadline reports. If the deal is finalized, it will mark a reunion between the Melrose Ave. studio and Hemsworth, who is already set to headline Paramount Animation/Hasbro's Transformers One, slated for release on Sept. 20, 2024. Notably, Transformers One has been one of the highest-testing titles in Paramount Animation's history, according to the outlet.
The groundwork for a crossover film between the two iconic 1980s Hasbro brands was laid in the epilogue of Steven Caple Jr.'s Transformers: Rise of the Beasts last summer. The sequel, which revitalized the robot franchise on the big screen, grossed an impressive $439 million worldwide, surpassing the $384 million global earnings of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.
It's worth noting that G.I. Joe and Transformers have a history of interacting, dating back to the Marvel comic books of the 1980s. The Transformers and G.I. Joe franchises combined have amassed a staggering $6 billion at the global box office throughout their lifetimes.
Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Mark Vahradian, Michael Bay, Tom DeSanto, and Don Murphy will produce the untitled project. Steven Spielberg and Hasbro Entertainment will serve as executive producers.
Hemsworth first gained widespread recognition among U.S. audiences for his portrayal of Thor in the Marvel Studios films, including the Russo Brothers' Avengers: Endgame, which stands as the second highest-grossing movie of all time with $2.8 billion.
In an interview published earlier this month, Hemsworth revealed that he was competing against his brother, Liam Hemsworth, for the role of Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The 40-year-old actor told Vanity Fair that he and Liam were considered for the same role but at different times. He admitted, however, that a certain amount of jealousy was involved.
When asked about competing with his brother for the role of Thor, Hemsworth was hooked up to a polygraph for Vanity Fair's infamous "Lie Detector Test" series. He said he wasn't concerned about Liam getting the part instead of him since "I was told I didn't have the part at that point. So I was excited for him, a little jealous, maybe, but I was excited for him. Then when I was allowed to re-audition, it was when he was out of the picture."
"So we never were neck and neck," he went on. "It was either I was involved, then wasn't, then he was involved, then wasn't, then I was involved." Currently, Hemsworth can be seen as Dementus in George Miller's Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, which has impressed critics and audiences alike, earning a 90% certified fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes from both groups.