AceShowbiz -

Still hot from its report on Stephen Sommers to direct "G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra", IESB.net now is coming with a new one already, stating Jason Statham is getting considered to play the role of Action Man, the original G.I. Joe doll's British counterpart initially produced by Palitoy in 1966, in the movie.

"The producers are keen on keeping the Action Man character in the film to make marketing of the film easier abroad including using that name for international territories to avoid any potential negative reactions that some parts of the world may have with the name G.I. Joe," so the site claimed.

While believing that scribe Skip Woods penned the script with Statham specifically in mind for the part, IESB further pointed out that being so, the project will likely be a buddy flick instead rather than a faithful adaptation of the comic book, cartoon, and toy franchise as G.I. Joe fans have definitely looked forward to.

"The new GI Joe/Action Man team is expected to be made up of various individuals from around the world and will not be exclusively American or British. The characters will still be based from the original cartoons, toys and comics but with a globe-trotting flavor," it added.

As for its previous scoop regarding Sommers, the site shockingly informed that the man has given up his director's chair in the movie due to salary reasons and that Len Wiseman may be up to take over the position in turn. The latter, known for his work in "Underworld" series, has just been reported to be in final negotiations to helm "Escape from New York" for New Line Cinema.