Hey remember how fans were genuinely excited to see GI JOE: Retaliation this June? Paramount decided that instead of capitalizing on the buzz by pushing the release back NINE MONTHS to post convert the film to 3D.

I had a hard time believing the story when I first saw it on Topless Robot, because you know … it’s Rob.  But when I saw there were multiple confirmed reports I was genuinely pissed off.  Was Paramount scared of The Dark Knight Rises and The Amazing Spider-Man? Or were they afraid they’d have a Battleship type disaster on their hands?

The only good to come of this is that GI JOE: Retaliation will be coming out on my birthday, March 29, 2013.  I’d like to echo something Rob brought up over at Topless Robot:

And what about Hasbro? Did they get any say in this? Aren’t G.I. Joe: Retaliation toys on toy shelves right now? These figures have been produced and shipped and stocked months ago; Hasbro can’t ask retail stores if they mind putting all their shit in the back until March. I wonder if Paramount has to pay Hasbro some kind of restitution for the loss they’ll incur on the Retaliation figures without an in-theaters movie to promote them, or if Hasbro is just getting totally fucked.

Hasbro is absolutely getting fucked in this.  Retaliation toys have indeed started to show up at retail, and now what?  Will Hasbro end up pulling everything back?  Possibly … but there isn’t anything else for them to put out. I just can’t get over how exceedingly stupid of a move this is with a little over a month to go before the film’s release.  I do understand one thing though, Paramount took a huge loss on Battleship … and may just be looking to write off 2012 in hopes of 2013 being a better year with Retaliation and Star Trek XII on the schedule.