Bieber film director to helm 'GI Joe 2'?

Jon Chu, the director of Justin Bieber's Never Say Never, is in the running to helm Paramount's GI Joe sequel.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Chu and F. Gary Gray (Law Abiding Citizen) are the "hot candidates" to make the follow-up to 2009's action blockbuster GI Joe: The Rise Of Cobra.

Chu is also behind two of Disney's Step Up dance movies, while Gray directed the remake of The Italian Job and The Negotiator .

GI Joe producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura met with both Chu and Gray recently and Paramount is expected to begin talks about an appointment this week.

Stephen Sommers departed the director's chair for GI Joe earlier in the year.

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