'GI Joe' sequel loses director Sommers

Director Stephen Sommers has allegedly quit Paramount's sequel to 2009 blockbuster GI Joe: The Rise Of Cobra.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the studio has approached two agents representing other filmmakers to come on board and steer GI Joe 2. Sommers will not have any involvement in the follow-up.

During production of the first GI Joe, reports surfaced claiming that Sommers had clashed with his producers and Paramount. Last August it was suggested that he would return to direct the sequel.

GI Joe, starring Channing Tatum, Sienna Miller and Christopher Eccleston, grossed more than $300 million at the worldwide box office on a budget of $175 million.