Not only can G.I. Jane 2 still happen, the sequel to G.I. Jane would also fare much better today than the original movie did back in 1997. Chris Rock making fun of Jada Pinkett-Smith at the Oscars not only resulted in a slap from Will Smith, it also inadvertently rekindled interest in Ridley Scott's much-maligned feminist action movie. 1997's G.I. Jane was a passion project for Demi Moore, who, as part of her duties as producer, insisted on herself and the cast undergoing actual Navy SEAL training, causing some male actors to back out. Though G.I. Jane was largely lambasted, Moore's dedicated performance as Lieutenant Jordan O'Neil erased notions that Moore was nothing more than an auxiliary former member of the Brat Pack.
The epic plot of G.I. Jane speaks for itself. Jordan O'Neil becomes the first woman to ever pass the strenuous 37-week training course for U.S. Navy SEALs. Command Master Chief Jack Urgayle (Viggo Mortensen) puts O'Neil through hell - but only to give O'Neil, the sole female in the program, the opportunity to earn the other trainees' respect. Meanwhile, Senator Lillian DeHaven (Anne Bancroft), who gives O'Neil the window to get accepted into the program, later reveals that she was only using O'Neil as a political bargaining chip. Working with Navy officials, DeHaven accuses O'Neil of being a lesbian in an attempt to kick her out. Later, the trainees assist in extracting Army Rangers from combat, which only succeeds due to O'Neil's expertise as a topographical analyst and her leadership abilities.
G.I. Jane crawled through the action movie mud so that the feminist messages in Black Widow, Wonder Woman, Kill Bill, Mad Max: Fury Road - and many other succeeding feminist action films - could take off and fly. G.I. Jane is far from being a perfect film, especially during the dizzying camera sequences when the fighting takes place. However, Ridley Scott's misguided cinematography experiments aside, there's an argument to be made about why Scott and/or Demi Moore deserve to make G.I. Jane 2. Seemingly subverting movies from her own filmography like Striptease and Disclosure, Moore's transformation into a musclebound beast is essentially the only female movie training montage that can hold a candle to the now-classic and brutal training scenes in action movies like Batman vs Superman, Rocky, and Bloodsport. Moreover, G.I. Jane 2 is even more feasible today because, in the real world, the Navy SEALs only accepted their first female operative in 2021 - further proof that 1997's G.I. Jane was way ahead of its time.
Was G.I. Jane 2 Ever Discussed?
G.I. Jane 2 was never in the cards, which is largely due to the movie's poor reception, though this is more indicative of the misogynistic hate aimed at Demi Moore in the '90s than anything else. In 1996, Moore received $12.5 million to star in Striptease, becoming the highest-paid female actor at the time - causing the media to dub her "Gimme Moore" and insinuate the actress was greedy. However, this salary actually pales in comparison to that of other male Hollywood actors, including her then-husband. In fact, Bruce Willis' salary for Die Hard 3 in 1995 was $15 million. In the end, Moore's salary "controversy" led to G.I. Jane grossing just $48 million - at a $50 million production budget - killing immediate chances of a sequel.
Why G.I. Jane 2 Was In The News - Chris Rock's Oscar Joke Explained
G.I. Jane 2 made the headlines when comedian Chris Rock joked that Jada "can’t wait for G.I. Jane 2," during the 2022 Oscars, poking fun at how Jada Pinkett-Smith suffers from alopecia by comparing Jada's shaved head to how Demi Moore shaved her own head for G.I. Jane. Rock used the effects of alopecia to compare Jada to a historic box office flop - punched-up by the reference to a famous movie scene. Apart from being insensitive to people with alopecia, the hacky, throwaway joke was regarded as a poor move by many in that the comparison ultimately served no purpose other than being an insult. Most importantly, the tasteless joke is why Will Smith slapped Chris Rock, leading to a debate as to whether this was an appropriate response that would also bolster discussions surrounding G.I. Jane 2. This complicates the prospects of G.I. Jane 2 getting made, as part of its future potential rides on the coattails of a Hollywood controversy. However, if it does happen, the G.I. Jane sequel would undoubtedly get a better reception in today's political climate.