G.I. Joe star Channing Tatum: 'I hate that movie'

(Image credit: Facebook.com/G.I. Joe)

published 24 June 2015

When asked how he felt about his starring role in the poorly reviewed 2009 blockbuster G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, Channing Tatum didn't mince words. "Look, I'll be honest. I f--king hate that movie. I hate that movie," he said.

In a new interview with Howard Stern, Tatum explained that he only starred in G.I. Joe because of a contractual obligation from a three-picture deal he signed with Paramount after appearing in 2005's Coach Carter. "They give you the contract and they go, 'Three-picture deal, here you go.' And as a young [actor], you're like, 'Oh my god, that sounds amazing, I'm doing that."

Unfortunately, Paramount cashed in on the contract years later, when Tatum's star was officially on the rise. "Time goes by and you get other jobs and you're building your quote and you have a dream job you want to do. And... the studio calls up, and they're like, 'Hey, we got a movie for you, we’re going to send it to you.' And they send it to you, and it's G.I. Joe." When Tatum tried to get out of the movie, he says, Paramount offered him a stark choice: "You're doing this or we're gonna sue you."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Explore More

Scott Meslow is the entertainment editor for TheWeek.com. He has written about film and television at publications including The Atlantic, POLITICO Magazine, and Vulture.

Subscribe to The Week

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox