Our latest exclusive piece of concept art from G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra depicts an early interpretation of the Convoy Attack sequence – a scene early in the film that has MARS soldiers staging a daring raid on a heavily armed Special Forces unit to steal one of the most powerful weapons ever devised. Arriving in a next-gen Typhoon gunship outfitted with Subatomic Concussion Cannons that are manned (personed?) by the Baroness herself, the enemy soldiers make short work of the Panthers and Rhinos that were showcased on Monday…until a G.I. JOE strike team shows up to repel the invasion, that is.
This piece of art is key in illustrating the evolution of a scene through the pre-production process, as it features work-in-progress versions of not only the Typhoon – the final design is even more streamlined and features larger, more pronounced weaponry – but also the Viper soldiers, whose helmets underwent several rounds of design changes before being manufactured. Check back later today for a profile on the Vipers that will show the progress of their helmets from concept to finalized design. The MARS weaponry in this sketch is also several steps away from what Stephen ultimately approved, as the look and feel of a pulse blast wasn’t finalized until Digital Domain presented a look test in post-production. Also, and perhaps most noticeably, the scene is depicted here as taking place in the light of day. Even though Stephen and co-writer Stuart Beattie originally scripted the sequence a daylight assault, the decision was made after this illustration was completed to stage the action at night for an even more cinematic set piece. Click on the image below to see all of the detail even larger andget ready to see the real thing on August 7!
ho. ly. shit. i remember staging this exact battle with my action figures.