Tatum/Quaid join Joe

Today Paramount officially announced the casting of Channing Tatum as Duke in GI JOE and added the news that Dennis Quaid will star as “grizzled” General Hawk. Having the two work together solves a big debate among 80s fanboys as to whether Duke or Hawk was the true leader of the Joes. (This is what grown men argue about.) The news will keep Tatum busy in the first half of 2008 beginning almost immediately on JOE and then segueing to a starring role in the Johnny Depp/Christian Bale drama PUBLIC ENEMIES in spring. Quaid has no less than three pics on the way in 2008 including the Sundance drama SMART PEOPLE, football drama THE EXPRESS and next month’s thriller VANTAGE POINT. Others in the JOE cast include Marlon Wayans, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Rachel Nichols, Sienna Miller, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje and Said Taghmaoui. Wayans will co-co-lead the team with Hawk and Duke while Gordon-Levitt is rumored to be playing Cobra Commander. (Sadly Chris Latta is no longer around to provide Cobra’s distinctive voice.) Stephen Sommers is directing JOE for Paramount.