GI JOE Casting Updates: Duke, Hawk and Zartan

More casting news is coming out of Stephen Sommer’s big screen adaptation of cartoon-based-on-a-toy-line series GI Joe.

Variety has reported that Channing Tatum has been cast in the role of Duke, the Joe team’s field leader. If you’re scratching your head and asking yourself, “Who is Channing Tatum?” you’re probably not alone. He has appeared in the indie films A Guide To Recognizing Your Saints and Havoc, but we’ll get a preview of Tatum as a soldier in the upcoming Iraqi War film Stop-Loss, which is due for release March 28.

The same Variety article also reposrts that Dennis Quaid will be filling the role of General Hawk, the Joe team’s commander.

Meanwhile, IESB is reporting that Arnold Vosloo has been cast as the mercenary Zartan. This makes the fourth major villian from the 80s cartoon series to be announced as in the film. Previously Sienna Miller was announced as playing the Baroness and Byung-hun Lee will be playing the ninja Storm Shadow. Script reports have confirmed that weapons dealer Destro is also in the film, though no casting has been announced yet for the part. With so many villians, a number of members of the Joe team also being featured, it is starting to look as if Sommers is trying to pack the movie with as many fan favorites as possible, which might not be a good thing.

Paramount hopes to have the film in production next month and in theaters on August 7, 2009.