In some ways you have to feel sorry for Joe Mazzello. Sure, he is one of the few child actors to successfully make a career in the profession, but even if he only makes movies as good as The Social Network and television shows as good as The Pacific for the rest of his life we will always recognize him first as the talktative little bastard Tim from Jurassic Park. But perhaps I'm not giving him enough credit. Maybe he's gearing up for a role that will change how everyone in the world sees him. Maybe that role will be in G.I. Joe 2.
Deadline has learned that Mazzello has signed on to play Mouse in the Jon Chu-directed sequel to the 2009 summer blockbuster. The character originated as a part of the Sgt. Savage and Screaming Eagles series and, according to What's Playing earlier this month, it's "a huge role for a young up-and-comer." The film also stars Channing Tatum, Ray Park, Lee Byung-hun, who will be the only three returning from the first film, and newcomers to the series include Ray Stevenson, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Adrianne Palicki, Elodie Yung, RZA and D.J. Cotrona. G.I. Joe 2 is scheduled to begin filming later this summer and is on track to hi theaters on August 10, 2012.
While I doubt that this is the chance for Mazzello to earn his first Academy Award nomination, I will laugh so incredibly hard if this movie turns him into the next big action star. Seriously: if Adrien Brody did it in Predators, why can't he? Still, I'm not sure anything will make me forget "vegesaurus" or how far he flew off of that electric fence. Classic.
