Glen Powell may have had his early struggles jumpstarting his Hollywood career, but these days, his status in Hollywood continues to skyrocket. Just this year, the A-lister’s 2026 movie releases include the A24 flick How to Make a Killing, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, and the upcoming sci-fi film The Great Beyond. Now, he's looking back on the earlier days of his career and recalling advice he got that helped him a lot. Specifically, he got to tell Harrison Ford about a great Hollywood lesson he learned from him while at Cannes.

Before Glen Powell became a sought-after leading man, he played a smaller part in the cast of The Expendables 3, which also starred Harrison Ford. While promoting that movie, Powell, Ford and their co-stars got to go to Cannes in tanks. Now, years later, the Chad Powers actor recalled this story to the Indiana Jones star during a roundtable with THR. He also noted the lesson he learned from this experience, saying:

Yeah, that’s how it’s done! Harrison Ford’s method of blending in is spot on. If you walk into a big event like anyone else, compared to a grand entrance, most people will just go about their day as usual. I love the Shrinking star's reaction to Powell's story, too, as he jokingly said that people at Cannes thought he was the young actor. Imagine that!

Harrison Ford isn’t the only veteran actor that Glen Powell learned from. He got advice from Tom Cruise during Top Gun: Maverick about how envisioning himself as the “underdog” of a story can bring out a memorable performance. The Twisters actor also received helpful advice from Denzel Washington about not comparing himself to other actors.

Even Matthew McConaughey gave him guidance to move back to Texas to be with his family and not be stuck in the “fake world” of Hollywood. With each piece of advice given to him, it’s no wonder Powell has been continuing to take the entertainment industry by storm.

While being an easily recognizable figure in Hollywood can be challenging, Harrison Ford taught Glen Powell how to walk the walk at Cannes without anyone noticing. As A-list celebs have to endure the attention of paparazzi, fans, and critics, take it from the Star Wars actor that walking into an event like anyone else can help you feel like a normal person before the spotlight sets in again.

Maybe I’m just an old head, but I genuinely don’t think there’s been a truly great action movie since the first The Expendables.

Actually, I lied, because there has been another great action movie since then, and it was The Expendables 2. Because while yes, I love the John Wick movies, and I’m a huge fan of Keanu Reeves (Hey, I’m one of the few defenders of 47 Ronin), there’s just something missing when it comes to those flicks that I can’t quite put my finger on…Oh, yeah! That’s it! Huge explosions, massive, unrealistic muscles, and The Expendables 2 has both in spades!

So, as a Reagan-era action junkie, when The Expendables series debuted back in 2010, I was in Heaven. But, I truly think The Expendables 2 was the absolute peak of the action genre. Here’s why.

The Action In This One Is Genuinely Pulse-Pounding

Action movies have sort of evolved over the past 30 years. It really started even earlier than that with Bruce Willis in the Die Hard series, where you had everyman, John McClane, in these outrageous situations. Since then, the action hero genre has changed dramatically.

Instead of having these hulking heroes with massive guns killing hundreds of people, we’ve gotten more unlikely heroes put into tense situations. Think Denzel Washington in The Equalizer movies, Liam Neeson in the Taken films, and Bob Odenkirk in Nobody. We don’t really get dumb, propulsive action movies anymore where you just shut your brain off and grin. Instead, we get more “cerebral” action flicks, with in-depth characters and interesting plots.

But, not so with The Expendables 2, and I mean that in the best sort of way. From the very first scene, it just goes bananas. The team is sent on a rescue mission, but it’s really just an excuse to have these big, muscular dudes ride around in armored trucks and shoot anybody who moves. I mean, there have to be like 100 kills in the first three minutes alone, and it’s glorious.

Plus, the whole movie is like this. All of The Expendables films have big action setpieces, but the second movie’s are the most awesomely ridiculous. No deep character development here. Just guys shooting other guys, and explosions. Splendid!

JCVD Is Cool As A Hero, But He Plays An Even Better Villain

The biggest appeal of these Expendables movies is that they take action stars from the past and bring them to the present. Now, mileage may vary on just which stars are chosen, as the much weaker (and PG-13-rated!) Expendables 3 brought in Wesley Snipes, Mel Gibson, and Antonio Banderas, which are good choices, but Kelsey Grammar? And Expend4bles gave us Megan Fox and 50 Cent!

However, Expendables 2 brings in all of the GOATS, with my absolute favorite being Jean-Claude Van Damme. Now look, I grew up on Bloodsport. Kickboxer is one of my favorite movies. Hell, I even liked him in the much-maligned 1994 Street Fighter movie. In every way, I love JCVD.

So, the fact that he’s in this movie is awesome, and I would have liked him as one of the Expendables, but no. Instead, he’s the leader of a band of mercenaries, and he’s the primary antagonist of the film, and what an antagonist he is!

For one thing, he kills The Expendables’ youngest member, Billy, played by Liam Hemsworth, by kicking (!) a knife into his heart! For another, he’s a genuine threat throughout the entire film and is just so cool as a villain. In every way, JCVD is an amazing antagonist, and he adds the martial arts element to this explosive film.

The Pacing Is As Quick As They Come

Here’s the thing. Nobody really cares about this series anymore, and I get it. The Expendables 3 actually put me to sleep when I saw it in theaters, and Expend4bles…is just not good at all. It’s weird, because as violent as these movies are, they sure can be boring.

And, I think it’s the pacing. The first movie was a bit slow, but promising. The third one just drags, and the fourth one has its own issues. However, the second one never lets up for a second, and it benefits from being so jam-packed. I think it’s because it’s mainly a revenge film, after Hemsworth’s character gets killed.

This raises the stakes, and it keeps raising them. There’s also a ticking clock with the weapons-grade plutonium that Van Damme’s character is tracking down. And what makes this work is that none of the film really slows down when new characters are added. In fact, quite the opposite occurs, as the new characters add another wrinkle to the plot.

Honestly, every good action flick should feel like it’s racing to the conclusion, and The Expendables 2 does that. It also just happens to have my favorite action heroes in it, which I’ll get into next.

Schwarzenegger, Willis, And Stallone In One Movie? You Know It

There’s a scene in the first Expendables where we get to see Schwarzenegger, Willis, and Stallone in one room together, and it’s awesome. In a lot of ways, it was like when Freddy fought Jason, or when De Niro and Pacino stared eye-to-eye with each other in Michael Mann’s Heat. In other words, it was a momentous crossover event.

That said, all they really do is talk in the first movie. I mean, it’s cool, but it wasn’t what fans like myself wanted to see. That said, what we wanted to see ended up happening in The Expendables 2, as Stallone, Schwarzenegger, and Willis all stand side-by-side shooting bad guys in a pretty intense scene.

And THIS is what I came for back in 2012 when the movie debuted, and I still love it today (especially following Bruce Willis’s health issues. It’s always nice seeing him in peak action condition). The scene gives time for all three of them to have at least one awesome moment among them, and I love hearing them banter with each other.

In fact, I would say this is my favorite scene in the entire movie (Nay, the entire franchise!), but there is one other moment that solidifies The Expendables 2 as one of the last truly great action movies for me.

Chuck Norris Is In This, Too, So It’s An ‘80s Action Fan's Dream

With Schwarzenegger, Willis, and Van Damme in one movie, they really didn’t need to have a Chuck Norris cameo, but hey, like I said, since this is one of the last purely great action movies, how could they leave him out?

Plus, the way he’s introduced into the film is hilarious. The Expendables are pinned down, and there’s even a tank. But, all of a sudden, all of the bad guys are somehow shot down (Stallone’s character even looks at his own gun, wondering who’s doing all the shooting), and when the dust settles, who should walk out from the smoke but the legendary Chuck Norris.

We even get some The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly music (as if this is all of a sudden a Sergio Leone western), and a Chuck Norris joke to boot about being bitten by a King Cobra…and the cobra dying. It’s like, they knew what we wanted, and they delivered.

What do you think? Do you also love The Expendables 2? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

There are few celebrities that perfectly embody the modern-day action hero as well as Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone. Both actors have enjoyed decades of fame in Hollywood and, together and separately, they have led some of the most successful film franchises of all time. While they are now great friends, The Expendables stars also once had an infamous feud. And according to Schwarzenegger, the animosity between the two movie stars once got a bit out of hand. 

It wasn’t all that long ago that movie fans would have been shocked to see Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger sharing anything at all, let alone a (maybe too) long-running action movie franchise. However, new cinephiles who don’t know their Hollywood feud history might be equally shocked to know that the two actors were once constantly at odds, because the pair of actors have enjoyed a very public friendship over the past several decades. During a recent visit to The Graham Norton Show, Arnold Schwarzenegger discussed his and Stallone’s enemies-to-friends arc  – and he shared how they managed to transform a once long-standing animosity into an unbreakable bond of friendship (via NME): 

While Arnold Schwarzenegger didn’t go into further detail about exactly how he and Stallone tried to derail each other’s careers, there are some pretty legendary stories about how fierce their rivalry was at its peak. In 1977, for example, an encounter at the Golden Globes ended with the Rocky star throwing a bowl of flowers at the man who would one day be The Terminator. Their battle played out on the big screen over the following years, as they each flexed their action-hero status in films like Rambo and Predator. 

It’s probably a relief for both actors that they were able to set their differences aside and forge an enduring friendship. While it’s clear the True Lies and Creed stars are very different in some ways, like how they express their anger, they also have lots of respect for each other now. They have even both credited each other for their respective successes during the height of their feud. 

Fans who hoped for the now-famous friends to reunite on the big screen for Expend4bles were likely disappointed, as Schwarzenegger sat the fourth installment out. 

But both actors have recently released documentaries that shed more light on their careers and their legacies, and Arnold and Sly are both a part of Netflix’s 2023 schedule. 

I’m a fan of sequels and long-running franchises…to a certain point.  

You see, when it comes to most horror franchises, like the Friday the 13th series, or something like every Halloween movie, I’m usually all for long, drawn out series, since the later movies in said series usually become more and more ridiculous (It’s Jason…in spaaace. Or, it’s Leprechaun…in the hoooood!), which I get a guilty pleasure out of watching.    

But when it comes to other genres outside of horror, I usually have less tolerance for a series that may have worn out its welcome two or three movies ago, such as with The Expend4bles. Honestly, The Expendables probably shouldn’t have made it past the second movie (And apparently, I’m not the only person who wonders how The Expendables franchise has made it this far). So here are just a few movie series that probably should have been put out to pasture a couple of movies or so ago.      

The Expendables Series 

Critics haven’t been holding back on their feelings of The Expend4bles, and from what I’ve read, I don’t blame them. The Expendables arguably wore out its welcome by only the first movie, though I feel l’m a bit more charitable when it comes to the franchise.

The greatest appeal of The Expendables, at least at the beginning in 2010, was that it was old action heroes from the ‘80s basically coming back and having “one last run” (To their credit, those are my words, and not theirs). 

But, there just felt like there was something off about the first movie, as even though it had Stallone, Jet Li, and Dolph Lundgren, the rest of the cast, which consisted of names like Jason Statham, Mickey Rourke, Terry Crews, and Randy Couture, just felt like it was missing something. Like, there were too many modern faces, rather than faces aged with wrinkles. 

And that’s where The Expendables 2 delivered, since we got most of the heavy hitters with that one. I’m talking Bruce Willis, Jean-Claude Van Damme (as the villain!), Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Chuck freaking Norris! I mean, seriously, where do you go from there with a cast of legends like that? 

Well, not with the abysmal (and PG-13 rated) The Expendables 3, which added Ronda Rousey, Wesley Snipes (A nice addition, but poorly utilized), Harrison Ford, Antonio Banderas, Mel Gibson (as the villain this time), and…Kelsey Grammer. 

The problem with this movie, besides it just being bad, was that it also felt tired. Like, the idea of getting all of these old stars together again for another action movie had already grown stale, possibly even after the first movie (Though again, I support the second). So, for there to be a fourth film just seems like overkill, with the tagline even being, “They’ll die when they’re dead.” It might have been better if the tagline for the third movie had been, “After this, we’re retired. For realsies.”   

The Fast Series  

The Fast series is an interesting case study, to be honest. Though I’ll always say that Tokyo Drift is low-key my favorite film in the franchise, there’s definitely a case to be made that the series really kicked into overdrive with the fifth movie, with many people agreeing (including CinemaBlend) that the fifth Fast & Furious movie, Fast Five, is the best in the series.    

So, this is definitely a case where a series was finding its legs (or rather, its tires) late in the game, as 2001's The Fast and the Furious feels like a time capsule since it's so scaled back and different. In fact, the series completely changed with the fourth movie, Fast & Furious, becoming more of an action series rather than a street racing franchise. 

That said, since we were all rocked by Paul Walker’s death, Furious 7 would have been a good place to end the series if they had chosen to do so. In the final moments of that film, Paul Walker’s character, Brian O’ Conner, and Vin Diesel’s character, Dominic Toretto, bid farewell to each other and drive off in separate directions.    

It was honestly the perfect ending to the series, but as time went on, the movies have just gotten more and more ridiculous, to the point that it almost seems like a parody of itself these days (I like Jason Voorhees in space, but I don’t like my Fast movies in space). Honestly, I tried watching Fast X, and gave up halfway through. I guess I’m just done with this franchise. And really, I was probably done by The Fate of the Furious.   

The MCU Series 

Okay, so let me explain this one. My favorite MCU movie is Eternals, so make of that what you will. But I think a major reason why I loved that movie so much (and still do) was because it felt distinctly different from anything else in the MCU, and I really felt we needed that after the franchise crescendoed with Avengers: Endgame.    

At the time, I didn’t really think the MCU was in trouble. Honestly, Avengers: Endgame seemed like the perfect place to end the MCU as we knew it and move onto something else entirely, which Eternals felt like at the time. But since then, I feel like the MCU has kind of gone downhill.  

When I ranked the first four phases of the MCU, I put Phase 4 toward the bottom, and Phase 5 has really just been disappointment after disappointment for me. Sure, there have been some highlights since Endgame, like Spider-Man: No Way Home, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 for many (I didn’t particularly like it, though).

But overall, I think the MCU should have pivoted in a completely different direction after Avengers: Endgame, which just seemed to wrap up everything nicely since the franchise started back with 2008’s Iron Man.    

So, maybe the MCU shouldn’t have “ended,” per se after Avengers: Endgame, but it definitely should have changed. It might have made it feel fresh again.  

The Saw Series 

So you know how I said that I’m all for most horror franchises having long-running series? Well, I do feel that way, but maybe not for the Saw series. And I didn’t always feel this way. A while back, I ranked the best horror franchises, and I put Saw at number 5. But in hindsight, I take that back, because honestly, Saw needs to just die already.   

I think I feel this way because they keep bringing it back. The seventh Saw was called "The Final Chapter," but now we have three more movies after that. And even though I hear that Saw X is actually pretty good (And I’ll definitely end up seeing it), I really feel like it’s a franchise that probably would have made for an absolutely KILLER trilogy. 

A lot of the Saw movies after the first one are pretty lame, and Spiral really should have been a death knell for the franchise, but I think this is more of a case of a “just okay” horror series that could have been amazing if it hadn’t gotten so many sequels.   

The Indiana Jones Series  

Now look, I’ll defend Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. But just because I’ll defend it, that doesn’t mean that I think it necessarily needed to exist.   

In fact, just like with the Saw series, I really think Indiana Jones would have been perfect if it only had three movies, as there is no better way to end the franchise than they did with Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. For many years, that was where the series ended, and that’s where I think it should have stayed finished. 

But then, we got a fourth Indiana Jones movie, and really, the series hasn’t been the same since. I have nothing against an older Indiana Jones, but in a lot of ways it felt like Indy was taking a backseat to other characters in the fourth movie (Like his son, Mutt).  

And, while I skipped the last Indiana Jones movie, The Dial of Destiny, I really had no interest in seeing another Indiana Jones adventure, since I felt like it’s just better to think back to the original trilogy, as Crystal Skull seemed unnecessary enough as it was (Even though I found it fun). I’ll probably just catch The Dial of Destiny when it eventually comes home to Disney+. Maybe. We’ll see. If there’s nothing else to watch.

And that’s the list. What movie franchises do YOU think probably should have ended a while ago? For more news on all things cinema, make sure to swing by here often!  

SPOILER WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Expend4bles. If you have not yet seen the film, proceed at your own risk!

When the Expendables franchise launched in 2010, Sylvester Stallone was at the center of it… literally. The original concept for the series was bringing together an ensemble of big action stars, but Stallone was given the most prominent position on the poster, and he was given top billing. This remained true for the two subsequent sequels, but 13 years later, things have changed: on the Expend4bles poster, Stallone’s name is below Jason Statham’s, and he is positioned just slightly behind his British co-star.

The reason for this is explained in the film, as Stallone’s character Barney Ross is “killed” in the first act and doesn’t return until the very end of the adventure. But why is that the case? According to the movie’s producers, it was a creative decision made in the development of the script and a choice to promote franchise longevity.

During a virtual interview earlier this month with filmmakers Kevin King-Templeton and Les Weldon, I asked about Sylvester Stallone having a smaller than expected role in Expend4bles, and they told me that it was always a part of the plans for the film. According to King-Templeton, the decision to have Barney Ross die early in the story was written and ultimately accepted by Stallone as the right direction for the series. Said the filmmaker,

In Expend4bles, Barney Ross is featured alongside Lee Christmas (Jason Statham), Gunner (Dolph Lundgren), Toll Road (Randy Couture), Easy Day (Curtis ‘50 Cent’ Jackson) and Galan (Jacob Scipio) when the titular team goes after Rahmat (Iko Uwais) in the film’s first act, but things go all kinds of wrong. Not only does the villain escape, but she shoots down the plane that Barney is piloting.

Following up King-Templeton’s comments, Les Weldon added that while Barney might not be physically present for most of the action in Expend4bles, he is present in spirit because the surviving characters both seek revenge in his name and take down an antagonist from Barney’s past. Said Weldon,

According to Kevin King-Templeton, who has spent over 25 years producing Sylvester Stallone films (staring with Cop Land in 1997), the actor/filmmaker felt like the decision for him to have a reduced role in Expend4bles was “fine.” He also made the point that the franchise could go back to having Stallone in a prominent role in the next adventure because the end of the movie reveals that he faked his death. King-Templeton added,

Starring Megan Fox, Andy Garcia, Levy Tran, and Tony Jaa in addition to all of the names mentioned above, Expend4bles is now playing in theaters everywhere  and placed second at the box office this past weekend.

For a look ahead at all of the films coming out between now and the end of the year, head over to our 2023 Movie Release Calendar.

Franchise movie-making is a big focus at every major studio. Offering audiences characters they are familiar with is proven to be successful, but one of the difficulties that comes with that is knowing when it’s time to end a franchise. The director of the newest Expendables movie is far from certain this will be the end for Sylvester Stallone and company, and he uses another big action franchise, John Wick, as an example. 

Considering that it took quite some time for Expend4bles to get off the ground, franchise fans likely thought that the series had ended with Expendables 3. And yet, the fourth movie did finally happen. It would be easy to assume that this will be the end for the series, but Expend4bles director Scott Waugh tells THR that no franchise is ever truly done if the fans and the studio want more. Just look at the current state of the John Wick franchise. He explained… 

Waugh certainly has a point. John Wick: Chapter 4’s ending would seemingly put a clear end to the franchise, and yet, things don’t seem quite that cut and dried. Lionsgate has made noise about John Wick: Chapter 5 happening after all, and while it’s not clear it will happen, the fact that the new film had the best box office return in the series is certainly not going unnoticed.

Of course, that’s exactly why we have to wonder if Expend4bles is the end, even if it wasn’t specifically planned to be. Expend4bles didn’t have the greatest box office opening. In fact, it was the worst the franchise has seen, which would seem to indicate that the audience is not that interested in a fifth movie, and thus the studio will certainly be less interested as well. 

Of course, the complication that potentially arrives when a franchise meets its end at the box office is that it can lead to an unsatisfying end in the story. If the franchise didn’t know it was over until the box office struggled, the story may have been left on a cliffhanger or some other place where it doesn’t seem right to end things. 

Whether we see any more John Wick movies or any more Expendables movies is impossible to guess right now. Franchise sequels and reboots are now commonly happening years after a series has seemingly run its course, so only time will tell.

I was shocked when I first learned The Expendables 4, a.k.a. Expend4bles, was not just happening, but as a theatrical release. Despite being an action movie lover, I haven't had much interest in The Expendables franchise since I saw the first trailer for the first movie way back when, so the news made me wonder what I was missing out on. So I decided to watch the 2010 movie recently to see what the hype was about, and all I can say is I'm not surprised The Expendables 4 is struggling with critics and at the box office against The Nun II. 

I watched The Expendables with my Netflix subscription to see what the hype was about, hoping to understand how this franchise made it to four movies. After the credits rolled, I had no answers to my question, and am still wondering how this franchise spawned three sequels after a first entry that was below par for the action genre.

The Expendables Francise Has Made A Lot Of Money 

Before I get too deep into tearing down this franchise, I need to take a chance to acknowledge that there was definitely an audience for these movies along the way. While critics were never on the side of these movies, the first movie had a worldwide gross of $274.5 million per BoxOfficeMojo with a reported $80 million budget. That alone would score any film a sequel, and when that sequel makes $315 million, that's going to turn into a third movie. 

All this is to say that until seemingly very recently, there were people seeing these movies. People, plus money, equals sequels. So, I am being a bit facetious when I ask the question of how a fourth movie happened, but for the sake of looking at the overall product as an action fan, I still am scratching my head about what so many saw in it. 

The Expendables Tried Way Too Hard To Make Every Actor Look Badass

When every character is trying to act like the toughest man in the room, the whole scene falls apart into pure comedy. I couldn't help but bust out laughing watching Bruce Willis, Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger in that church scene all try to out-tough each other, and it just devolves into some bizarre pissing contest. Weirdly enough, it flies in the face of Stallone's recent comments about action heroes, as none of these characters keep their mouths shut and just perform heroic deeds. 

What really makes it underwhelming for me is that in normal circumstances, I'd expect the real tough guy in the room to stay silent and let the wannabes talk. The way The Expendables plays it is everyone is that shit-talking wannabes, and there's no badass to set everyone straight. It's just two hours of dudes hurling empty threats and insults at each other between fight scenes, and it's way goofier than I'm sure was intended. 

The Action Of The Expendables Is Below Standard For The Genre

The Expendables is promoted to feature some of the best names in the action genre, and yet, the movie is chocked full of moments in which the action is well below the mark for a movie like this. In an age where the John Wick franchise is crafting awesome fight scenes more elaborate than a Star Wars lightsaber battle, I was watching a then-62-year-old Sylvester Stallone struggling to maintain a consistent run so that he could catch a plane. 

The physical limitations of the stars aside, there are scenes in The Expendables where the fight choreography feels nonexistent. Take the opening scene, in which the heroes stand in an open room, fire at the enemy terrorists and somehow dispatch them all with zero casualties. Is it badass or is it just lucky that they decided to start firing before taking any form of cover? So much of this movie has moments where it looks like it's a miracle the heroes aren't injured at the very least, to the point I think they subconsciously are aware they're in a movie and know they can't be hurt. Why else would Lee Christmas jog directly through an enemy camp solo while tossing random grenades into bunkers? 

The Level Of Disrespectful Humor Directed At Jet Li's Yin Yang Is In Poor Taste

The first Expendables movie includes Jet Li, which, at first glance, feels like a nod toward the actor's various accolades in Hollywood as an action star. In execution, Yin Yang (the only character with a nickname that directly ties to his cultural background) is frequently shown to be the weakest of the group. At one point, Terry Crews' character refers to the crew as four-and-a-half men, referring to Li's size. Yin Yang is often the punchline in the movie rather than the hero alongside the rest of the crew. 

In my opinion, it's pretty damn disrespectful to an actor who carried the action genre with some damn good movies throughout the 2000s. If Dolph Lundgren is owed flowers for his accolades in cinema leading up to The Expendables, you can't tell me Li didn't deserve more respect for his work in Unleashed, Cradle 2 The Grave and Fearless. He would've beat Gunner's ass if Barney hadn't stepped in, and he deserved more than a patronizing response in the movie's ending about that happening. 

The Action Genre Has Evolved Past The Expendables Franchise In 2023

After watching The Expendables, I went on a search to see what the top action movies of 2010 were. The Expendables took the top spot that year, but in 2012, The Expendables 2 was absent from many top lists I browsed. The same is true of the third movie, and the further you continue, one thing is clear: the action genre evolved throughout the 2010s, and gone are the days when we're beckoning for the olden days of the '80s action stars. 

That might be my opinion, but in an opening weekend where The Expendables 4 pulled in only  $8.3 million, I don't think it's a bold take. The numbers indicate there are fewer audiences looking for this franchise, perhaps because there's a lot more quality competition now in 2023 than there was when the original movie came out. Hell, even looking at the top action movies of 2022 list I put out, there's not a single entry I'd put anything Expendables-related over. 

I originally decided to watch The Expendables to understand how the action franchise remained successful throughout four entries, but given the recent headlines about the fourth movie's struggles, I may just have wound up with the answer for why it had diminishing box office returns opening weekend with every entry. As an action lover who has enjoyed many films in this genre with all of the talent that appear in these movies, I say with all do respect it may be time to put this franchise out to pasture. 

The Expendables 4 is out in theaters now, and while it may not be my bag, I'm sure there are still fans out there who are interested in seeing it. As for anyone who hasn't had a chance to check out the original movies, all three are currently available to stream over on Netflix. 

When it comes to action movies, there’s nothing quite like the adrenaline-packed rush of the Expendables franchise. And after nearly a decade of anticipation, the long-awaited return of everyone’s favorite mercenaries is finally here in the Expend4bles. This time around -- alongside the four returning franchise cast regulars Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Randy Couture, and Dolph Lundgren -- we have a fresh crop of A-listers to ignite the screen, including Megan Fox. In a new interview, one of the film producers wants to assure everyone the bombshell Transformers alum isn’t there just to ‘make up the numbers.’ 

In an exclusive interview with Express, producer Kevin King Templeton shed some light on the new cast, specifically Fox’s inclusion in the movie. He emphatically stated: 

The sexy trailer alone showcases Fox as a formidable force as she holds her own against Jason Statham's Lee Christmas character in a passionate brawl. Templeton further disclosed:

His fellow producer, Les Weldon, chimed in, clarifying the actress came prepared for action.

The addition of Megan Fox isn't the only surprise awaiting fans in Expend4bles. Rapper and actor 50 Cent–also known as Curtis James Jackson–joined the cast too. Although he trashed the movie before its release for a particular reason, he brings fresh air to the franchise. With newcomers Tony Jaa, Iko Uwais, and 50 Cent on board, the producers promised a more "global" feel to the movie, as the action icons took the lead in the thrilling fight sequences.

Expend4bles has already hit the 2023 movie schedule, and its reviews have been pretty brutal. As of this writing, the movie is sitting at 16% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics are not holding back about the Statham and Stallone sequel, with Cinemablend's own  Eric Eisenberg  not pulling punches, describing the fourth movie as an “embarrassment for all involved” and “rock-bottom.” Ouch. 

Of course, not everyone was so harsh. In his evaluation, David Ehrlich of IndieWire took a more measured approach, awarding Expend4bles a C grade. Most of his criticisms focus on the CGI quality, deeming it less natural than what was seen in Avatar: The Way of Water. Nevertheless, he noteed that the film embraces its penchant for absurdity. 

Fans were probably hoping for a better grade than a C, but at least it's average. Suppose you're a dedicated franchise fan eager to witness the ensemble in action. In that case, Expend4bles is currently playing in theaters, allowing you to experience it firsthand and form your judgments. Regardless, Megan Fox's character seems poised to exude total badass feminine energy as she joins the predominantly male cast of Expendables 4.

Jason Statham and Sylvester Stallone are back with the fourth installation of The Expendables franchise, as the mercenaries try to prevent nuclear war. It’s been nearly a decade since their previous adventures, and some new faces have joined the fray, including Tony Jaa, Iko Uwais, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson and Megan Fox. With Expend4bles now showing in theaters, the critics are here to provide us with more information about what — in addition to sexy fight scenes between Statham and Fox — we can expect to get out of the movie.

While some people were excited about The Expendables 4 following early screenings, most of the first reactions featured strongly worded opinions about why this is the weakest of the tetralogy. Now that the critics are able to expand on their initial thoughts, let’s see what they’re saying. Frank Scheck of THR writes that this fourth offering takes the franchise to new lows, and despite some welcome doses of humor (however lame), it’s time to stick a fork in this series. Scheck continues:  

Courtney Howard of AV Club says forget the terrorists; the most dangerous foes in this movie are boredom and obsolescence. For a property that had a lot of potential for sequels, it’s disheartening to see it face such creative bankruptcy, the critic says. Howard grades is a D-, continuing: 

IndieWire’s David Ehrlich isn’t quite so harsh in his assessment, giving it the grade of a C. He describes Expend4bles as having a script that “feels like it was written by a frat boy trying to plagiarize Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty” and CGI so bad it looks less natural than Avatar: The Way of Water. However, it seems to be perfectly at peace with being this stupid. Ehrlich explains: 

Katie Walsh of the L.A. Times says director Scott Waugh doesn’t take advantage of what he has to work with, because not even legendary martial artists Tony Jaa and Iko Uwais can help Expend4bles. In Walsh’s words: 

Simon Thompson of IGN rates the movie an "Awful" 3 out of 10, saying the actors look almost embarrassed to deliver their clunky and uninspired dialogue. It's a pale imitation of the movies that came before it, Thompson says, writing:

The critics seem to be in agreement about this one, as The Expendables 4 is coming in at just 15% on Rotten Tomatoes from 54 critiques so far. However, if you’re a fan of the franchise and want to see the gang in action, Expend4bles is in theaters now for you to check out for yourself and draw your own conclusions. Either way, be sure to take a peek at our 2023 movie schedule to start planning your next trip to the theater. 

It’s been nearly a decade since we’ve seen Sylvester Stallone’s team of elite mercenaries known as The Expendables take on one of its explosive missions, but now he and Jason Statham are back, and they've added some new names to the roster for Expend4bles. The third sequel, formerly titled The Expendables 4, has seen a number of delays over the years after 2014’s PG-13-rated The Expendables 3 was panned by critics. The fourth installment has returned to original form with an R rating, and those who have been able to attend advance screenings of the movie are hitting social media with their first reactions. Although opinions are somewhat split, moviegoers seem to feel very strongly.

Alongside Sly Stallone and Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren and Randy Couture reprise their roles, and the franchise welcomes Megan Fox, Curtis Jackson (aka 50 Cent), Andy Garcia and more as newcomers. Former stuntman Scott Waugh takes the helm for Expend4bles, which will see the group attempt to prevent a terrorist organization from smuggling nuclear warheads. We’re expecting some big action and some sexy fight scenes involving Fox and Statham, so let’s see what people think. Eric Eisenberg of CinemaBlend doesn’t pull punches, describing the fourth movie as an “embarrassment for all involved.” In his words: 

Nick of Bitesize Breakdown agrees that the franchise is headed in the wrong direction, with the fourth movie being the weakest offering yet. He writes: 

Adriano Caporusso also says The Expendables 4 is bad, but not so-bad-it’s-good. While the movie celebrates its R-rating, there’s not nearly enough fun being had. Caporusso continues: 

Ian Sandwell of Digital Spy tweets that he also noticed a lack of fun, particularly in the first hour. After that, though, the movie picks up and plays more to its strengths, of which Jason Statham is a big part. According to the critic: 

Some early viewers clearly aren’t satisfied with Scott Waugh’s final product, but the reactions certainly aren’t all bad. Jeremy Kazieva tweets that the movie reminds him of The Suicide Squad and any fans of the Call of Duty: Black Ops video games will find something to like here. He continues:  

Film critic Rama’s Screen seems to have had no trouble finding the fun in the film, embracing the “nonsensical” aspect of it all, tweeting: 

With some saying Expend4bles has hit rock bottom with its no-fun fourth installment and others saying the gory combat mixed with humor is the right combination, it’s hard to know what to think. We might gain some clarity when full reviews come out, but there isn't much time left before the movie hits theaters on Friday, September 22. Whether or not you decide to check out Megan Fox, Jason Statham, 50 Cent and the rest, take a peek at our 2023 Movie Release Calendar to see what else is hitting the big screen soon. 

Slick action star Jason Statham is having another massive year between starring in two movies from the genre, Fast X and Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre, and having two more on the docket. Now, he’s getting armed and ready for this next duo of films on the 2023 movie schedule: next weekend’s The Meg sequel and the fourth Expendables movie, known as Expend4ables. As the anticipation looms, the action actor is showing off some custom knives and axes for the latter film. 

It’s no secret that Jason Statham is quite the badass, but the actor took to Instagram to flaunt it by bringing attention to the impressive supply of weaponry on Expend4bles. Check out the post: 

What a glorious set of prop weapons! It looks like Jason Statham was on the set of the fourth Expendables film as Lee Christmas showcasing a host of knives and axes in the photos. The actor thanked his “good friend” Justin Burton for crafting the custom weapons for the upcoming film. Per the professional bladesmith’s website Warcrown Forge, all of his weapons are handmade and made to be unique. Burton is a U.S. Navy veteran who draws inspiration from the military along with Greek and Norse mythology as well as his favorite fiction novels. 

Right now, all the weapons listed on his site are sold out, but the price looks like it ranges from $300 to $1,200. Statham’s latest post really highlights some of the detailed work that goes into making action movies like Expend4bles that we don’t always get to stop and appreciate when so much of the time the focus is placed on the actors’ performances or action set pieces. A character’s weapon can become an iconic moment in a film, and it looks like The Expendables movies pay close attention to how their weapons look. 

Expend4bles has been a long time coming considering the last film from the franchise came out back in 2014. Based on the poster for the Expendables sequel, it looks like Lee Christmas will have an expanded and center-stage role this time around along with Sylvester Stallone, 50 Cent, Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture, Iko Uwais, Andy Garcia and Megan Fox also rounding out the star-studded cast. 

Although, don’t expect to see Arnold Schwarzenegger in The Expendables 4 after the action legend previously shared that he is not in it last month. 

You can check out The Expendables 4 trailer here: 

It’s great to see the franchise back after nearly a decade away! The movie will see the Expendables team squaring up against an arms dealer who commands a massive private army. The Lionsgate movie is set to hit theaters this September 22. While we wait for it, you can also see Statham in The Meg: The Trench next Friday, August 4. 

Jason Statham seems to be going from one action franchise to another. Aside from starring in Meg 2: The Trench, which dropped a bloody trailer, he's also a part of the ensemble cast of Expendables 4. The actor is seemingly as hyped for the film as we are, as he recently posted a series of stills from the film. The photos tease what’s in store for the latest installment in the blockbuster franchise. And of course, the images look especially badass due to the fact that they're in black and white.

The veteran actor made sure to save what may be the coolest photos from the film for his Instagram post. He can be seen showing off his skills alongside martial arts legend Tony Jaa. It looks like the two are taking on some enemies amid crazy combat sequences. The duo look like they make a perfect team, and these photos certainly tease a rad dynamic between their characters. You can check out the Transporter star's post below:

The action star has been a part of the Expendables franchise since the very beginning. The ensemble films have offered a slew of big stars over the years, Terry Crews, Bruce Willis, and most notably, Sylvester Stallone. Of course, Statham remains one of the highlights. His character, Lee Christmas, is a staple and always seems to make it out of the most dire situations. The trailer for Expend4bles promises a lot of Statham and a sexy fight scene or two involving a new character. It also seems like it will maintain its sense of humor that's long been present within the explosive scenes, so fans have a lot to look forward to. 

The fourth film has been in the works for a while. Along with the Fast and Furious alum, Sylvester Stallone, Dolph Lundgren and Randy Couture are all returning. The cast also added some big names with 50 Cent and Andy Garcia are among those joining the franchise for the first time. Megan Fox is also set to be a prominent character and has posted some awesome behind-the-scenes photos teasing what’s to come. The Expend4bles' producers have dubbed it the most badass installment yet and, based on these photos, I wouldn't doubt them just yet.

2023 has been a big year for Jason Statham, and Meg 2 and Expendables 4 are only the tip of the iceberg for him. He was also in the Guy Ritchie film Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre, which also has a big cast and boasts plenty of action. On top of that, he reprised his role as Owen Shaw in this summer’s Fast X. That’s four big movies just this year, and he’s attached to many future franchise projects. Statham simply can’t be stopped, and with all the fun he seems to be having in these latest on set photos, he will continue to be one of the coolest in the business. 

The Expendables 4 is set to hit theaters nationwide on September 22nd, 2023. Fans of the franchise can revisit the first three Expendables films now by renting them on Amazon. For more information on other films heading to cinemas in the near future, make sure to consult our schedule of 2023 new movie releases. 

Fans who have been long anticipating The Expendables 4, or rather Expend4bles as it’s now known, are probably expecting some specific aspects to be introduced in this latest action movie romp. Yet mixed in with the big action and explosive destruction is something that people might be pleasantly surprised by: a pretty sexy fight between Megan Fox and Jason Statham. You can see it in the trailer at the top of this page.

Stolen nuclear missiles, the potential for World War III, and 50 Cent trying to make sure Dolph Lundgren doesn’t shoot him in the face are all things that you can still find in Lionsgate’s trailer for the third sequel to The Expendables. So it’s not like the franchise is making any moves so out of the ordinary, like the PG-13 rated theatrical cut for The Expendables 3, that it’ll threaten to derail the show. If anything, Expend4bles looks like it is square in this franchise’s wheelhouse all over again.

“Long anticipated” almost seems like a joke at this point, as The Expendables 4 was first announced in 2015. Almost a full decade has passed since that announcement, but things are a lot more real now with this trailer that includes some of the Expend4bles CinemaCon footage that our own Jessica Rawden witnessed first hand. As promised, the Jason Statham/Megan Fox fight was indeed steamy, and a welcomed addition to director Scott Waugh’s big follow-up.

Yes, it’s impressive that the Sylvester Stallone-driven franchise has finally returned with exploits like trying to sink a ship with a surprise anchor drop. It’s also cool that Andy Garcia is one of the new kids getting in on the action this time around, which is one of the things we knew about The Expendables 4 before this point.

But the relationship drama between Statham and Fox is a great addition to switch things up. It might even open some doors for the franchise’s potential future; especially if the female-led The Expendabelles ever gets off the ground, and if Jason Statham's Lee Christmas is truly going to take over the series from Sylvester Stallone's outgoing Barney Ross. We'll just have to see if this new sequel delivers at the box office upon its release.

All of this and more awaits fans when The Expendables 4 pushes the button, releasing this sequel into theaters on September 22nd. Don't fret though, as there's plenty of action waiting on the schedule of 2023 new movie releases. So if you want to see stuff blow up and/or villains getting beaten properly, you'll certainly have options.

The Expendables franchise famously brought together just about every iconic action star over the years, including Arnold Schwarzenegger. The 75-year-old Terminator actor became a mainstay in the movie series too, starring in every movie entry thus far as Trench Mauser. However, when it comes to the year’s The Expendables 4, Schwarzenegger has broken his silence about whether to expect him among the roster of big names in the 2023 new movie release. 

The fourth Expendables film, reportedly titled Expend4bles, will see Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren and Randy Couture returning to the cast. When Arnold Schwarzenegger was asked about his involvement, here’s what he said: 

During an interview with Parade, Schwarzenegger said bluntly that he told Stallone he was out of the franchise during its production, and Stallone was totally considerate to the decision. As Schwarzenegger recalled, he first joined 2010’s The Expendables in a cameo role in between his final term as California’s governor. In the 2012 sequel, he came to set for just two hours for a scene alongside Bruce Willis. While the actor kept things going for the third movie as well, it turns out he wasn’t up for the task this time around, and hey, that’s OK! 

Arnold Schwarzenegger currently is the star of No. 1 Netflix series, FUBAR, which allowed the actor to lead his first original streaming series about a CIA operative who finds out his daughter is in the same line of work as him. Following the recent success, the actor took to social media to share how “grateful” to the fans for making the show a hit. He’s also got a few other projects on the way as well, including an action thriller called Breakout. 

As far as Expend4bles goes, the movie has brought on a number of exciting new cast members, like Megan Fox, 50 Cent, Tony Jaa and Andy Garcia. The movie will reportedly see the crew face off against an arms dealer who commands a massive private army. The sequel is among quite a few big 2023 movie still without trailers, though it is set to be released this September 22, so the wait is only about four months away.  

While Schwarzenegger is not part of The Expendables 4, it is exciting to imagine him and Stallone pairing up again for a future project, and it sounds like they will. 

Sylvester Stallone and Dolph Lundgren first crossed paths on Rocky IV, with the former picking the latter to play Ivan Drago because he emanated the “flawless” quality the character needed to have. While working together on that movie resulted in the two of them forming a friendship, they didn’t team back up professionally until the Expendables franchise launched in 2010, which Lundgren was keen to join. However, the Gunner Jensen actor recently recalled a time when he wanted to punch Stallone while doing the first Expendables movie.

While appearing on In Depth With Graham Bensinger (via Variety), Dolph Lundgren noted how he and Sylvester Stallone have had “some good times and bad times, kinda like family to some degree,” then brought up when Sylvester Stallone was “very harsh” during a portion of The Expendables’ production. Along with playing Ross, Stallone directed the first movie, and at one point he “kinda yelled” at Lundgren in front of the crew, made him “do about 20 takes” one one scene and criticized his performance at that moment. Lundgren then said:

So these two hit a rough patch while making The Expendables, but the good news is it didn’t last long, and thankfully no punches were thrown. That said, this does call to mind when Lundgren talked about how Stallone went to the hospital during the making of Rocky IV, then heard he was blamed for that, though he suspected it was really an “insurance scam.” And this incident on The Expendables wasn’t the last instance of drama between them, as last year saw Stallone calling out Lundgren over the Drago spinoff in development, which led to the latter clarifying some things about that Rocky franchise project.

Overall though, these Hollywood stars remain on good terms with one another, and The Expendables was the start of more consistent collaboration between them. They went on to reprise Gunner and Barney two more times, and we’ll see them in these roles again for the 2023 new movie release The Expendables 4. However, given how early Stallone completed work on the fourth installment, it doesn’t look like he’ll be in the movie for long, with Jason Statham’s Lee Christmas taking over as the main lead. Stallone and Lundgren also re-teamed for 2018’s Creed II, and the Ivan Drago actor will also be seen stopping by The Family Stallone, the reality series premiering to Paramount+ subscribers on May 17.

Those of you eager to see The Expendables 4 will be able to so in theaters starting September 22. Dolph Lundgren will also be seen reprising Nereus in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, which arrives on December 20, and Sylvester Stallone can currently be seen back as Stakar Ogord in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger were two of the biggest stars of the 1980s. The men were constantly compared to each other because of their macho personas and action-packed projects they both normally gravitated toward. This led to a decades-long feud between the two actors who were often competing for roles against each other. This was squashed in the '90s and the duo has since co-starred in a number of Expendables movies together. Now, it looks like these two are bearing the knives again, but this time it was to carve pumpkins for Halloween.

The action stars are always sharing cute photos together for fans, but this one takes the cake. Stallone shared a photo on Instagram alongside Schwarzenegger that showed the two leading men in a trophy room, standing behind their pumpkins with massive knives sticking out of them. In the caption, the Rambo star called the tools, “survival knives” which is perfectly fitting for the iconic characters these two mega-stars have played in the past. Check out the adorable pic below:

I guess the co-stars have creative brains behind the brawn, considering how well their Jack-o'-lanterns turned out. The two have done more than bury the hatchets. They have used the hatchets to make some adorable pumpkin creations, while also proving macho-men can have Halloween fun as well. They are both still looking as strong as ever, meaning audiences can still look forward to the possibility of more iconic action-packed projects from them in the future. 

Stallone recently wrapped production on The Expendables 4. While Schwarzenegger has joined the Rocky actor in the franchise in the past, he is not currently announced to be a part of the project. However, I’m crossing my fingers for a flashback cameo. I love seeing these movie star legends share the big screen together. 

As for their future projects, Stallone will be reprising his teased role as Stakar Ogord in Guardians of the Galaxy 3. He will be coincidentally starring alongside Schwarzenegger’s son-in-law Chris Pratt in the film, so his connection to the family will be continuing even if the Terminator actor opted out of the most recent Expendables venture.

However, the Predator alum is far from retiring from the big screen. Schwarzenegger is set to reprise his role as Conan in The Legend of Conan, which is a sequel to his 1982 film, Conan the Barbarian. From this picture, the former Governor of California is still in body-building shape, so he should have no problem easily slipping right back into the role. Schwarzenegger is no stranger to returning to popular franchises, as the movie star returned to the iconic Terminator franchise in 2019, to the delight of many hardcore fans.

When fans aren’t seeing Schwarzenegger and Stallone delightfully carving pumpkins together with extremely large knives, they can catch these two co-starring in the Expendables franchise with an Amazon Prime subscription. In addition, you can also catch the duo in 2013’s Escape Plan, another joint action movie venture, currently streaming for fans with an HBO Max subscription. For more films coming to streaming in the near future, make sure to check out our 2022 movie release schedule. 

The Expendables 4 (or Expend4bles) is one of the most anticipated films of 2022, as adrenaline junkies have been waiting eight years for a new installment in the high-octane film series. Before the film wrapped production, Sylvester Stallone had been teasing fans with some badass behind-the-scenes set videos via social media. Now, he’s posted another video from his time on set, and it shows him and co-star Jason Statham ribbing each other. I mean, two of the biggest action stars in the world just joking around on set? No big deal, right?

Sylvester Stallone finished his work on Expendables 4 this past fall and celebrated by sharing a video from the set. What we didn’t know at the time, however, is that before he departed, he had a funny exchange with Jason Statham about his imminent exit. Stallone dropped the clip of the chuckle-worthy exchange on his Instagram account. You can check it out for yourself down below: 

The Rocky icon’s departure from the set is more significant than some may know. The 75-year-old actor previously revealed that the movie will mark his final time playing the role of Barney Ross in the series. With that, he’s relinquished leadership of the franchise to the Transporter alum, who plays Lee Christmas. One would think that it’s a bittersweet development for the stars and fans but, at the very least, it seems the actors made the most of their time on set during this latest outing. 

Jason Statham was also sharing production updates amid filming. One of his posts included some snapshots of him alongside Iko Uwais, who’s set to play the villain of the movie. And based on the photos, Uwais’ character is not someone to be trifled with. Luckily, Statham’s Lee Christmas will have some familiar allies in his corner. 

The Expendables 4 will also feature returning stars Dolph Lundgren and Randy Couture. And in terms of new blood, the action flick has recruited Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, Tony Jaa and Megan Fox. This lineup should provide fans with a nice mix of old and new characters. The series is clearly in a period of transition, so it’s understandable that the producers would want to try to bring in a fresh batch of stars. Plot details are being kept under wraps for the time being, yet the first look teased some rough and steamy scenes.

There are high expectations for the film, and Sylvester Stallone and co. are really going to have to bring it if they hope to match the intensity of the first three installments. I’d expect that the actor has done what he can to ensure that it lives up to the hype. And as we wait for it, we’ll hopefully get some more nice behind-the-scenes videos like this newest one featuring the jovial Stallone and Jason Statham. 

An official release date has yet to be confirmed for The Expendables 4, though you can find dates for other upcoming movies on CinemaBlend’s schedule. 

Almost a decade following the last Expendables movie, Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham and Dolph Lundgren have reunited to make a fourth film, which is expected to head to theaters sometime this year. In anticipation of the action sequel, Lundgren is teasing what audiences can expect. 

So far we know that Expendables 4 will boast a big cast and action set pieces, as per usual with the franchise. Dolph Lundgren’s recent words set up this movie as being an even bigger and bloodier event than some might have expected. Check it: 

This sounds like a shot at the MCU. Dolph Lundgren is right though. As of late, there’s been a lot of Marvel and DC content. This month alone we’ll see Robert Pattinson in The Batman and Oscar Isaac in Moon Knight. Expendables is offering big-budget action, but it’s not based on a comic book. The actor continued to Pop Culture: 

Dolph Lundgren is armed and ready to sell us on this movie! Along with the movie reportedly being bigger in budget than the previous films, he also highlighted that there’s a number of new cast members in the mix, including Megan Fox joining the team, alongside 50 Cent and Andy Garcia. 

Dolph Lundgren also said it’s “special” to have all the different personalities from the film on the set of Expendables. The 64-year-old He-Man icon said that he considers Statham and Stallone friends and enjoys spending time with them. He called the upcoming movie “old-school” because there’s so many stunts involved, and when they fire the guns on set, they are “full blanks.” There’s not a lot of CGI, which isn’t easy to come by these days in other massive franchises. 

Of course Dolph Lundgren and Sylvester Stallone began working together in 1985’s Rocky IV, where the Swedish actor portrayed Soviet-Russian foe boxer Ivan Drago. Lundgren has previously shared that he was initially attracted to the first Expendables because it brought Sylvester back into the director’s chair. This time around, stuntman-turned-director Scott Waugh is taking the helm. We’ll keep you up to date once Expendables 4 lands among 2022’s upcoming movie releases. 

Expendables 4 is currently in post-production, and the long-awaited movie is bringing back many of its stars for another action-infused go-around. Dolph Lundgren, for instance, is back in action alongside Sylvester Stallone, who seems like a good guy to work with. Lundgren seems to have a good time, as recently told a story about being pranked by Stallone during the making of the first movie, and it’s hilarious. Now, the star has explained why the franchise was appealing to him in the first place.

The actor recently sat down with Looper to discuss the massive film series, which has grossed over $800 Million at the worldwide box office. He spoke about the franchise’s future and what it means regarding his kids seeing him on screen and other takeaways from his involvement in the franchise. In the midst of all that action, though, the star explained that there's more to his love of the franchise, saying:

So one of the big draws for Dolph Lundgren was, of course, getting to work with Sylvester Stallone, the mastermind behind the who operation. Stallone has obviously been behind great franchises already such the Rocky franchise, which would catapult Lundgren into stardom after he played Ivan Drago in the fourth movie. Stallone was also all about including some classic action movie fights and shootouts, and that was appealing to his co-star, who is just old school as he is. 

The movie's idea was also interesting to the Drago actor because he liked the concept of a bunch of washed-up ex-soldiers and secret agents banding together to embark on extremely dangerous missions. Though in the same interview, the star also teased the new additions to the franchise, like Megan Fox, which make each new movie feel fresh. It's great that everyone involved is still invested, so it's likely they'll keep going as long as everyone’s on board.

One of the most exciting developments about the upcoming fourth movie is the introduction of a new villain, played by The Raid’s Iko Uwais. Jason Statham recently shared some cool behind-the-scenes photos working with Uwais on the film, giving the actor some serious respect for his skills. The project will clearly expand the cast and try to improve upon the over-the-top action of the previous entries, and I can’t wait to see if they can pull it off!

Meanwhile, Dolph Lundgren is also set to reprise his role as King Nerus in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, which he is confident is better than the original. The sequel recently wrapped filming and is on schedule for a 2022 release, so we will be able to see Lundgren alongside Jason Momoa soon. With Expendables 4 also set for release next year, things are going to be pretty busy for the veteran action star, and he's sure to give it his all in every project in which he's featured.

The Expendables 4 has officially wrapped production, which means fans of the franchise are closer to get another installment in the action franchise. So far, we know a few things about the movie, though there are still plenty of unknowns. What is guaranteed is that Sylvester Stallone and Dolph Lundgren will once again star alongside each other in the upcoming film. The two Rocky IV stars obviously go back a long way, which means they're very close. On that note, Lundgren has revealed the A+ prank Stallone played on him while they were making the first Expendables movie.

The Rocky alum recently spoke with Looper about his new film Castle Falls and his experience working with Sylvester Stallone on the first Expendables. During the chat, he told a great story about getting pranked by Stallone while filming one of the first scenes in the movie. Lundgren went into detail on the joke, adding in his best Stallone impression and saying:

Wow, the actor/director made Dolph Lundren do over 15 takes of a simple joke and ultimately used the first one he did. It sounds like it was frustrating Lundgren, but it seems that even he had to admit it was a good bit. The box office-dominating film series always seemed like a nice way for all of the ensemble of action stars to get together and have a good time hanging out, and there are probably a ton of stories like this one. So it's easy to understand why everyone in the cast keeps coming back for more, and the newest installment should be just as fun.

Unfortunately, Expendables 4 saw multiple injuries, though the production was adamant that it did everything it could to make sure the cast and crew were safe while working. The film will reunite many of the franchise's key stars, who will be joined by some new faces. While working on the movie, Jason Statham even shared some badass set photos with The Raid’s Iko Uwais, a newcomer to the series.

Of course, many know Dolph Lundgren and Sylvester Stallone for their cinematic bout in the ring, and Stallone recently released his Rocky IV Director’s Cut. He was teasing it for a while and did so in a number of ways. He even touted the cut using some retro images of himself as the titular boxer and Lundgren as Ivan Drago. Stallone also told a story about almost dying after Lundgren connected with a real punch. It was a very close call and a reminder of how dangerous the sports movies could be to make. Still, the movie's legacy lives on, as does the work of the two stars. 

Dolph Lundgren recently commented on the possibility of a Drago spinoff following the character's return in Creed II, and his statements indicate that there have been some discussions about it. All the while, the actor is also set to appear in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom and is confident that James Wan’s sequel will be even better than the original. Between the superhero sequel, Expendables 4 and Castle Falls, Lundgren has a lot on the way. For his sake, though, let's hope he didn't get pranked on any of these productions by any of his co-stars.

Following a nearly-decade-long absence, the Expendables franchise is finally heading back to the silver screen. Back in August, it was announced that The Expendables 4 was finally moving forward, and filming kicked off a month later. Jason Statham is among the familiar faces who’s back for this latest installment, and the action star recently shared some badass photos from the Expendables 4 set of himself alongside co-star Iko Uwais.

The actor known from the Raid movies and the recently-released Snake Eyes has come aboard The Expendables 4 to play its lead villain. Naturally that means he and Jason Statham will be coming to blows during the action flick, and the latter provided a peek on Instagram at one of their fight scenes, along with the aftermath. Take a look!

Naturally Jason Statham and Iko Uwais are all business when acting out their fight scene, but once the necessary footage has been captured, these two quickly start shooting the breeze and are clearly having a good time together. Of course, the Expendables franchise has always been a great platform for spotlighting action stars, so it’s fitting that Uwais was brought aboard to show off his combat skills. His other notable credits include leading and producing Netflix’s Wu Assassins series and its upcoming follow-up movie Wu Assassins: Fistful of Vengeance, as well as cameoing in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

While the name of Iko Uwais’ character in The Expendables 4 hasn’t been revealed yet, this individual is reportedly a former military officer who’s become a weapons dealer and built his own private army. Whatever plan he has cooking, he’ll end up clashing with Jason Statham’s Lee Christmas, the Expendables team’s knife expert who’s been part of the film series since it launched in 2010. Following The Expendables 3’s release back in 2014, Statham has kept busy on the action front with his outings as Deckard Shaw in the Fast & Furious franchise, Spy and The Meg, among other projects.

Other familiar faces returning for The Expendables 4 include Sylvester Stallone’s Barney Ross, Dolph Lundgren’s Gunner Jensen and Randy Couture’s Toll Road. In Stallone’s case, it doesn’t appear that he’ll be in the movie for that long, as he finished shooting his scenes in mid-October. As far as other newcomers go, Iko Uwais is joined by  Eddie Hall, Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson, Megan Fox, Tony Jaa, Andy García, Sheila Shah, Jacob Scipio and Levy Tran, though their roles are also being kept secret for now. Need for Speed’s Scott Waugh is directing off a script written by Spenser Cohen, Max Adams and John Joseph Connolly.

The Expendables 4 is expected to arrive sometime in 2022; we’ll let you know when a specific release date is announced. In the meantime, find out what movies are officially slotted for next year with our 2022 release schedule.

The Expendables are not going into retirement just yet. The action franchise is set to return with The Expendables 4, with Sylvestor Stallone, Dolph Lundgren and Jason Statham getting back in character as their badass veteran mercenaries next month when filming gets underway. Ahead of the actors heading to set, the movie has just added another star into the mix, and this pick is awesome. Andy Garcia was memorably in the fellow ensemble flick Ocean’s Eleven, and now he’s part of the next Expendables movie.

The 65-year-old actor is the latest to join the franchise, and just a couple weeks after a few other new stars were announced to be in The Expendables 4. Andy Garcia is boarding the film just as the production begins production in October, per The Hollywood Reporter. Other new stars in the film are Megan Fox, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson and Tony Jaa.

Andy Garcia is always a welcome addition in big movies like this, though over the years, he’s taken on a lot of villain roles, and naturally we wonder if it will happen again for The Expendables 4. It’d be much more fun to see the actor next to action heavyweights like Dolph Lundgren and Sylvestor Stallone, but hey, we’ll have to wait and find out what role he’s nabbed.

Andy Garcia has been no stranger to high-profile films as of late. The actor recently finished filming a remake of Father of the Bride, which will see him taking on Steve Martin’s memorable role as the titular dad of one soon-to-be-wed daughter. The comedy will center on a Cuban family and also star Gloria Estefan, Terminator: Dark Fate’s Diego Boneta and Dora the Explorer’s Isabela Merced.

The actor recently worked with Expendables star and producer Jason Statham on Wrath of Man, which came out earlier this year. Andy Garcia also worked with Megan Fox on a yet-to-be-released comedy called Big Gold Brick. With that said, it looks like he will fit right into this cast.

The Expendables 4 is the first franchise entry in seven years, following the 2014 third movie. The Expendables 3 had a crazy stacked cast that included Antonio Banderas, Jet Li, Wesley Snipes, Terry Crews, Kellan Lutz, Glen Powell, Mel Gibson, Harrison Ford and Arnold Schwarzenegger. It’s unclear if this upcoming movie will continue to stack on more big names, but given the franchise’s track record, we’d imagine there’s still more casting news to come.

That said, Sylvester Stallone recently has called the movie an Expendables spinoff rather than a straight sequel, so there might be a new angle to this one. Perhaps this one could be on a smaller scale than the others. Either way, we’ll keep you updated on the Expendables developments here on CinemaBlend.

It’s been a long time coming, but it looks like Sylvester Stallone’s The Expendables 4 is finally heading towards production. With the expectation to film in the fall, the long awaited follow up to 2014’s The Expendables 3 is getting into fighting form. And thanks to a new look from Stallone himself, a new ring designed for the movie is making it all feel more real.

Flashing a new custom piece of bling on his Instagram profile, Sylvester Stallone is showing off the new piece that his character Barney Ross looks to be wearing in The Expendables 4. Known to wear a lucky ring, with at least some sort of skull as part of the design, this new piece is pretty fancy for a mercenary ready to rock and ruin. It’s gold, it’s glorious, and it’s the sure sign that The Expendables 4 is gearing up, as you’ll see below.

Let’s hope that The Expendables 4 includes some newly designed guns for Sylvester Stallone to wield that can accomodate that gigantic honkin’ piece of jewelry. With something that huge, it doesn’t look like there’s much room for error when handling firearms and wearing that gigantic ring. Though on the plus side, hand to hand combat has just gotten a lot more advantageous for The Expendables crew leader.

Seeing an actual prop designed for The Expendables 4 is the most concrete signal that the film is heading into production. Through the years, we’ve heard tons of stories that have told a rollercoaster ride style saga that didn’t always come out on the positive side. At certain points in the story, departures of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone and Terry Crews were reported as setbacks to the film overall. But in the past couple of years, the determination to get another Expendables adventure has been rekindled.

Perhaps the greatest sign that The Expendables 4 motors were still running was the fact that co-star Randy Couture actually got to read the script, singing its praises early last year. So if it wasn’t for the world shutting down because of the COVID-19 pandemic, we might have gotten to see Sylvester Stallone’s vision a little earlier. Though between prepping for The Expendables 4 and realizing his director’s cut of Rocky IV, Stallone has certainly kept himself busy in the meantime.

With The Expendables 4 intending to start production this fall, there’s no telling when the film will be released just yet. Though if we were to guess, the 2022 release schedule probably has some room later in the year for such a debut; depending on if the movie shoots on time. As for the Rocky IV Director’s Cut, movie lovers should expect that punch to land on November 11th.

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There was once a time when Sylvester Stallone, Wesley Snipes, Jason Statham and a lot of other badasses gathered to make blockbuster action movies together. Much as The Avengers became the franchise for those who liked to bond over comic book action, The Expendables allowed folks to bro out to action stars of the past and present. And as you’ll see in the throwback footage shared by Stallone himself, those days must have been a hell of a time.

Clearly missing the days of The Expendables series, Sylvester Stallone shared a fun video from the set of The Expendables 3 on his Instagram. It’s pretty jam-packed with everyone and anyone you could think of who starred in the 2014 entry to this particular series. Which means that yes, you’ll get to see Harrison Ford hanging out with the boys while watching the video included below:

Seriously, how awesome is it to see Sly on set with Antonio Banderas, Mel Gibson, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jason Statham?! It’s practically a class photo for The Expendables 3, and everyone looks pretty jazzed to be a part of the moment. Even the sometimes cantankerous Harrison Ford is all smiles; the energy is that infectious.

Of course, the centerpiece of it all is the fact that this throwback to those simpler days reminds us that 2010’s The Expendables was a pretty historic moment in action cinema history. For the first time, Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger, two titans once engaged in a bit of an historic rivalry, worked together for the fans. With that mythic conflict at an end, the sky was the limit for who they could get to join in, and the two ensuing sequels proved it.

With such great memories comes some bittersweet truth, as The Expendables 3, so far, has proven to be the de facto finale of the franchise. The production itself was beset by all sorts of problems, as a PG-13 rating and an eventually leaked copy of the film were among the reasons some have cited for the third installment’s ultimate disappointment at the box office. As everyone has scattered with their own projects, like Stallone’s Rocky IV director’s cut and Jason Statham’s duties on The Meg franchise, as well as the Fast and Furious spin-off Hobbs and Shaw, it almost feels like The Expendable 4 is dead for good.

Then again, with all of the good vibes that The Expendables 3 gave to those participants captured on film, who’s to say that it couldn’t happen again? Sylvester Stallone knows how to get a band back together when he wants to, and with his plate seemingly free of the Creed series, this could be the next big move for him. Provided, of course, that the supposedly-confirmed Demolition Man sequel doesn’t get off the ground first.

Once in a while, a meme goes viral and takes the world by storm. Many have come and gone, and the most recent has put Bernie Sanders at the forefront. The U.S. senator was one of many to attend the recent Presidential Inauguration of Joe Biden and, during the event, someone snapped a photo of Sanders sitting and bundled up, complete with a warm-looking set of mittens. Since the image hit the web, many have taken the senator’s likeness and placed it in various settings, leading to some incredible memes. Now, Creed II and The Expendables star Dolph Lundgren has joined in on the craze with a perfect meme.

Dolph Lundgren is predominantly known as a star of action movies, so it was only fitting that he chose to share a meme that inserts Bernie Sanders into a faux poster for one of his most popular franchises. Check out the hilarious image from Lundgren’s Instagram down below:

The Expendables fans have been waiting for a fourth installment for a little while now, but they probably wouldn’t have pegged Bernie Sanders for a role. Now, this new meme may inspire fans to wonder what Expendables 4 would look like with the politician. Sanders never minces words, and many would agree that he would fit in well alongside massive personalities like Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

As for the actual Expendables 4 film, things don’t seem to be moving along too fast, in part due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Randy Couture did, however, mention last year that he has seen a script and still intends for the film to be made. Things can change when a film is in the development stages, so maybe this Sanders meme will inspire him to give the senator a role.

It’s been fun to see just how many people are getting in on the Bernie Sanders meme craze, and celebrities especially seem to be having fun with inserting him into notable films and TV shows. Ryan Reynolds, Kevin Hart and Jamie Lee Curtis are among those who have found ways to get creative with Sanders’ now-iconic pose. Jared Leto even used a meme to provide a pitch-perfect response to Morbius’ most recent delay.

However, the star who’s arguably having the most fun with all of this is Star Wars alum Mark Hamill. The veteran actor used a couple of posts to showcase memes that place Sanders in iconic moments from the galaxy far, far away.

The Bernie Sanders craze likely won’t last too much longer, but it’ll be fun to see what other hilarious memes we get as a result. And one has to wonder if any of Dolph Lundgren’s fellow Expendables alums will drop a meme that rivals the one he shared.

The poster really should get Stallone thinking about a cameo for Sanders. I mean it wouldn’t be the craziest idea he’s ever had for the franchise.

Dolph Lundgren has been a longtime action movie star, with one of his earliest performance seeing him play the dreaded Ivan Drago in Rocky IV, who went up against Sylvester Stallone’s beloved Rocky in a bout for the ages. The two actors wouldn’t team up again until years later when Sylvester Stallone brought him on board for the large-scale action movie The Expendables. Now, Dolph Lundgren is celebrating that movie's 10th anniversary.

The Expendables was the novel idea of taking iconic '80s action stars and teaming them up for one big, action-packed film, with Sylvester Stallone in the lead role and boasting other heavy hitters, like Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jet Li and Dolph Lundgren. Up until that point, Dolph Lundgren had spent years working on projects that hadn't receive the theatrical treatment. So understandably, he looks back fondly on his return to the big screen. Check it out:

It’s certainly hard to believe that The Expendables is already ten years old. Before huge crossover films like Avengers: Endgame, The Expendables was a one-of-a-kind experience many '80s and '90s action fans had long dreamed of.

For his part, Dolph Lundgren plays Gunner Jensen, a dangerous and crazy chemical engineer who seems to enjoy killing. Even though he’s a bit of a wild card, Sylvester Stallone’s character, Barney Ross, keeps him on the team. Jensen appears in all three movies, though overall it seems like his character gets the most development in the first.

The success of the first Expendables movie produced two more sequels over the past decade, and more big stars were thrown into the mix, like Harrison Ford, Mel Gibson, Antonio Banderas and Wesley Snipes. Chuck Norris even made a brief cameo in The Expendables 2, but didn’t return for The Expendables 3.

Fans may recall how The Expendables 3 suffered a few, unfortunate setbacks in 2014, including internet piracy, which may have contributed to its poor box office returns. But Sylvester Stallone also admitted later that dropping the rating down to PG-13 was a huge mistake they shouldn’t have made.

That said, all is not lost for the The Expendables franchise. At one point, Sylvester Stallone decided to walk away from the franchise, but now it seems he could be intent on making The Expendables 4 happen one way or the other.

Over the years, we’ve been getting hints and teases about The Expendables 4 moving forward. The last we heard, Randy Couture confirmed that the action-adventure movie is in the works and that a script had been written, but also admitted that there are a lot behind-the-scenes issues that needs to be worked out.

It’s understandable why a movie like The Expendables 4 could be tough to get off the ground. Not only would it need to recruit more high-profile stars, but it would have to convince a studio that it's worth making. Hopefully, it'll move forward soon so we can see Dolph Lundgren on the big screen again. Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more updates.

Over the course of three films, Sylvester Stallone’s The Expendables franchise has assembled the biggest and best action stars from across multiple generations for testosterone-fueled, explosion-packed violent romps of action and hyper-masculinity. It’s been six years since The Expendables 3 came out, but Sylvester Stallone is bringing The Expendables back in a new form. And this time he’s sending them to hell. Take a look:

All the craziness of The Expendables is unconstrained by the limits of budget and cinema technology, and free to be as wild as possible within the panels of a graphic novel? Umm, yes please. As you can see, Sylvester Stallone is bringing The Expendables back in a graphic novel that will see the mercenary team die and go to hell (was there ever any doubt?), where they will have to fight the monstrous residents of that fiery pit.

If that scenario sounds wild when you read it, all you have to do is take a look at Sylvester Stallone’s Instagram to see that The Expendables Go To Hell graphic novel will exceed all reasonable assumptions of absurdity. Sylvester Stallone’s Expendables character Barney Ross is, of course, ready for the challenge of going to hell and all that he will encounter there.

In the second panel the actor shows from the comic, Barney Ross is seen on a serpentine walkway, bridging the lake of fire. The next page shows Barney and an accomplice (can’t tell who) fighting in a war zone where they are under attack from some of Hell’s other residents, but ones from a different time period. Perhaps it is the Carthaginians because these foes have elephants (Cersei would be jealous).

Another page shows Barney and Dolph Lundgren’s Gunner Jensen fighting an alien worm that looks like something out of Alien or Dune that Barney gets swallowed by and has to kill from the inside. It’s truly wild stuff.

The Expendables Go To Hell is actually the result of an Indiegogo campaign to create the graphic novel. The campaign has blown its $10,000 goal out of the water, with nearly $60,000 in funding from fans that want to see what happens when The Expendables are finally killed in battle, only to find themselves facing an eternity of war in hell.

The story for The Expendables Go To Hell comes from Sylvester Stallone himself and comics writer Chuck Dixon. He is an established comics writer who helped create the character of Bane and has written characters like Batman and The Punisher. That’s a fitting pedigree for an Expendables comic. Comic book artist Graham Nolan will draw the book, with Daniel Brown handling the coloring.

The Expendables Go To Hell will encompass a 50-page main story, as well as three side quests which will feature the work of different artists. The graphic novel is expected to ship in May, and for those who are interested, there are plenty of perks for the project’s backers. There are signed copies, variant editions, pin-ups and T-shirts available at different price points for the project’s backers through Indiegogo.

The Expendables Go To Hell looks absolutely insane and is a must for fans of the action franchise. This should tide us over until The Expendables 4, which seemed like it was definitely happening, but we haven’t heard much definitive on that in a while. The Expendables, with its titans of action, was always kind of a superhero team anyways, so it makes sense that they finally made their way to the pages of a comic book.

Check out our 2020 Release Schedule to see what’s headed to theaters this year, and for the latest in things you didn’t know you wanted, stay tuned to CinemaBlend.

Not so "expendable" now! Rocky IV, Creed II, and The Expendables franchise stars Sylvester Stallone and Dolph Lundgren are teaming up once again for an action drama TV series. The show doesn't have a premiere date yet -- they haven't even shot the pilot at this point -- but it's called The International and it's already garnering a lot of interest in the industry.

It sounds like Dolph Lundgren will be the star -- which I can't complain about, since the camera still loves the 61-year-old action hero. Sylvester Stallone will be executive producing and possibly also directing the project. Based on this early word, it doesn't sound like Sly will be on screen, but I wouldn't be shocked if he was talked into at least a cameo.

Apparently, the new series was pitched to Fox, CBS, and NBC and also drew interest from Netflix and Apple. Deadline said ABC was the only major network not to get a pitch, since it's angling more toward female fare -- like Starz, it seems. It sounds like the show was a hit in pitches, and it's now one of the most sought-after shows of the new TV season.

The action series will reportedly star Dolph Lundgren as a covert operative at the Department of Safety and Security at the UN. He is described as the UN’s secret special agent, a one-man S.W.A.T. team and hostage negotiator. Sylvester Stallone revealed on Instagram that the show will be titled The International.

Ken Sanzel will serve as showrunner of the pilot, which he also wrote. Sylvester Stallone may direct it. The guy is pretty busy. He did direct The Expendables in 2010, after co-writing the script, but his directing credits have been pretty sparse since then.

Stallone and Dolph Lundgren recently reunited off-screen for some goofy fun with their Expendables buddy Arnold Schwarzenegger. It's clear they enjoy each other's company. That's good to hear, since Stallone keeps teasing The Expendables 4, most recently posting that "The boys will be back in town soon!"

Sylvester Stallone is big on keeping in touch with his old school action heroes, including his co-stars in The Expendables, but also franchise icons like his Rocky and Rambo. It sounded like he was retiring Rocky after Creed II, but several months later he's back with a new Rocky movie idea. And he already has Rocky V: Last Blood in the can, ready for its hard R release on September 20.

Last year, Dolph Lundgren brought Ivan Drago back for Creed II and also played King Nereus in DC's billion-dollar-baby Aquaman. Lundgren also played Konstantin Kovar in six episodes of Arrow, and had a role in Sharknado 5: Global Swarming. He's been in all three of Stallone's Expendables movies so far, so he's expected to be back for Expendables 4.

Are you curious to see where this action series lands -- network, streaming, etc. -- and how it turns out?

If you want to see what it looks like to be forever young -- or at least forever blissfully immature -- check out action movie icons and Expendables co-stars Sylvester Stallone, 73, Arnold Schwarzenegger, 71, and Dolph Lundgren, 61, goofing around with a camera during a recent gathering.

Gotta love Ahhhnold chomping a cigar in his mouth through it all, with the sound of cackling laughter in the background of Stallone's video.

Goofballs. Not gonna lie, though, Dolph Lundgren is still a beauty.

Apparently the guys were gathered at Arnold's house, where he was hosting the German football team FC Bayern Munich:

Dolph shared a similar photo with his old friends:

If they can have this much fun off screen, hopefully they can channel that energy for The Expendables 4.

All three forever-young-bros have been in the three Expendables movies to date. Sylvester Stallone co-wrote and directed The Expendables, which came out in 2010. Sly is busy working on The Expendables 4, and just had a flash of new inspiration. Arnold said he wouldn't be in the fourth movie unless Sly returned, and there was some question about that at one point. But now it sounds like they will be back, and hopefully Dolph will join them -- among many other action movie favorites.

Dolph Lundgren and Sylvester Stallone go back to Rocky IV -- Rocky Balboa vs. Ivan Drago -- which came out in 1985. Lundgren's Ivan Drago returned to co-star with Sly's Rocky in Creed II in 2018. Apparently Stallone is not as done with Rocky as we thought, since he's working on a new Rocky movie and also has plans for some streaming work.

Sylvester Stallone just saw Escape Plan: The Extractors released straight to DVD, and it did much better than anyone seemed to expect. (Better than the second one, anyway.) Next he has Rambo V: Last Blood opening September 20. Meanwhile, Arnold Schwarzenegger is returning as the T-800 in Terminator: Dark Fate, opening November 1.

Finally! Sylvester Stallone has been teasing The Expendables 4 for a while now, but it's possible he was on the fence about the storyline ahead, and inspiration just fell from the sky. Literally. It sounds like the Independence Day fireworks got the gears turning in Sly's head, and now maybe he'll do more than just talk about the next movie.

Nice! I kinda thought the next adventure was already cooking on the stove, but if he had a new flash of inspiration, that sounds promising.

A few months ago, Sylvester Stallone excited fans with an Expendables 2 throwback photo, alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis. Sly called them "the three wiseguys ... the last of the breed!" It looked like a hint to The Expendables 4, which was said to be in the works again after some behind-the-scenes hiccups.

Sylvester Stallone directed and co-wrote The Expendables, which started this franchise in August 2010. Stallone co-wrote the script for The Expendables 2, which came out in August 2012. He did the same for The Expendables 3, which came out in August 2014. By that schedule, you'd expect The Expendables 4 to come out in August 2016, but that didn't happen in this dimension.

In 2016, it was announced The Expendables 4 was going to bring back some original stars as the final film of the franchise. Then Sylvester Stallone walked away from the franchise, reportedly after creative disagreements with a studio exec. Arnold Schwarzenegger said he wouldn't return to the franchise without Sly -- adding that he loved the first two movies but wasn't happy with his story in the third one.

In 2018, there were some positive updates, saying Sylvester Stallone and The Expendables 4 were back on track. It sounds like things just got a bit delayed, since one report had Rambo 5 and The Expendables 4 opening in September 2018 and "early" 2019, respectively. So maybe we need to just push everything back a year, since Rambo V: Last Blood is now opening in September 2019.

Sylvester Stallone has a lot going on, from Rambo V to his Rocky documentary, to potentially a new idea for Rocky, despite appearing to retire from that role after Creed II. He's also promoting his new movie Escape Plan 3, which just came out straight-to-video; he seems to like that film a lot more than Escape Plan 2.

Now it sounds like Sylvester Stallone has a new, or at least slightly updated, plan in mind for The Expendables 4. Fans are commenting on Instagram with suggestions -- like making the movie Rated R or adding Keanu Reeves this time. (Get in line. Everyone wants a piece of Keanu.)

Are you excited to see what Sylvster Stallone cooks up for The Expendables 4, and who returns to join him?

For an entire generation of Americans, that group of notorious slackers known as Generation X, Sylvester Stallone was one of an elite crew of larger than life action stars in the '80s with comically large muscles and more quips than Rodney Dangerfield.

Sure, Sly Stallone has done a lot of more serious work that deserves high praise, like the original Rocky, which earned him two Oscar nominations for Best Actor and Best Screenplay, and won the Oscars for Best Picture and Best Director for John G. Avildsen. This list isn’t about his roles like that. This is about the movies where his comically large muscles and endless quips are the real stars. So let's have a look at the most badass roles on Stallone's filmography.

5. Tango & Cash (1989)

From the jump, you know that Tango & Cash is going to be pure badass Sylvester Stallone. The movie opens with Stallone, as Detective Ray Tango, dressed in an Armani suit and speeding down a desert highway in Cadillac Allante. Stallone tries to call off his backup as he chases a tanker truck. He's a cop who plays by his own rules and doesn’t need the rest of the department’s help.

As the scene continues, Stallone pulls ahead, creates a roadblock, calmly gets out of the convertible, reloads his revolver for some reason (mostly because it looks cool) and starts taking shots at the truck until it stops. When it does, the local yokel cops ask him If he thinks he’s Rambo. “Rambo… is a pussy,” is Tango’s response. If you are not all-in on this oh-so-'80s buddy-cop flick, Stallone in all his badass glory may not be for you.

But that’s not even the best part, because the movie hasn’t introduced his fellow cop, Gabe Cash, played by the great and awesome Kurt Russell, and everyone knows you don’t tussle with Kurt Russell. Cash is a poorly dressed, long-haired Los Angeles City cop, Tango is a suit-wearing, stock-trading Cadillac-driving detective in the Beverly Hills Police Department. Together Tango and Cash make unlikely partners forced to work together when they are framed by a drug lord played by Jack Palance and sent to maximum security prison. Seriously, how is any of this not totally awesome?

Tango & Cash is like a greatest hits of 1980s movie tropes, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad. Well, it is bad in a traditional sense, but it’s totally badass because it does the tropes well and does them without shame. There are good guys, there are bad guys, there are drugs, and there is a score by Harold Faltermeyer, the quintessential '80s film score composer also responsible for Top Gun, Beverly Hills Cop, and Fletch. Tango & Cash is seriously badass.

4. Rambo (2008)

A sequel 20 years in the making, Rambo exploded onto screens in the winter of 2008 and Generation X rejoiced as their childhood hero, John Rambo, retuned for one more mission deep in the Southeast Asian jungle. Praised and derided for its tremendous amount of violence, Rambo is everything you want from a Rambo movie and much more. With a higher body count than the other three Rambo movies combined, this is Sylvester Stallone’s John Rambo and at his most Ramboness.

Vietnam vet and all-around stoic badass John Rambo has left the world behind and is living a subsistence living as a… snakecatcher in Thailand when he agrees to ferry a group of missionaries up river and deep into wore-torn Burma. When the ship is attacked by river pirates, Rambo is forced to do what he swore he would never do again – kill. He saves the missionaries and drops them upstream in a small village, but not before the head missionary rebukes Rambo for his violence. Who does this guy think he is anyway? You’re talking to JOHN RAMBO!

Of course, that’s not the last the missionaries would see from our hero Rambo, because shockingly, they are kidnapped by Burmese soldiers after the soldiers burn the village they are working to help. That’s when a team of ex-military special ops are brought in and hire, who else, John Rambo, to take them upstream as part of a mission to save the missionaries.

Once he gets them to their destination, Rambo offers to help but is roundly rejected by the team’s leader. He doesn’t need some hippie-looking American burnout’s help, this is an elite squad of ex-special forces soldiers! What could a boat driver do to help them?

Well, as you might imagine, the elite team of mercenaries get to the village but find themselves outgunned and not sure what to do. Luckily for them, that lowly boat driver followed them and he knows what to do - kill everything that moves, preferably with a bow and arrow with exploding arrows. Or in ultra-violent hand-to-hand combat.

Spoiler Alert! Rambo wins. Like, he REALLY wins. He kills everything that moves and saves the elite team of ex-military and the missionaries. In the process, Sylvester Stallone and the other creators of the movie made one of the most violent movies in history, violence that is so over the top, it’s impossible to take too seriously, but definitely makes it badass.

3. The Expendables (2010)

Sylvester Stallone followed up Rambo with another over the top throwback to the '80s with The Expendables, which follows a ragtag team of badass ex-military special forces soldiers-turned-mercenaries led by Stallone’s character, Barney Ross. The team is hired to overthrow a dictator of an island country off the coast of Mexico.

If the plot doesn’t sound completely ridiculous and awesome, the cast certainly is. In addition to Stallone, the cast is a who’s who of '80s and '90s action film stars, including Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Terry Crews, Jet Li, Mickey Rourke and MMA star Randy Couture. Not to mention a couple of sweet cameos by Bruce Willis and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who yes, was actually still in office when the movie was filmed and released.

So this bunch of nothing-like-the-Dirty Dozen ex-soldiers embark on their mission, and in spite of a convoluted plot that doesn’t really matter, inner conflicts amongst the team, and being badly outnumbered, the crew of expendable soldiers manage to shoot, stab, and fight their way into the dictator/drug lord’s compound, blowing up everything they don’t shoot, and saving the damsel in distress while making the world safe for democracy again. It’s freaking badass.

2. Rocky IV (1985)

Think back in time to the mid-1980s. The Cold War dominated the geo-political world and patriotism was at a zenith under President Ronald Reagan’s zeal to take down those pesky commies in Eastern Europe. The film landscape is filled with pro-America, anti-Soviet jingoistic films like Red Dawn and The Day After, and bookstore shelves strain under the weight of a whole stack of books by Tom Clancy like The Hunt For Red October and Cardinal Of The Kremlin.

That’s when the world asked the question, what would Sylvester Stallone and Rocky Balboa do? Rocky IV answers that question decisively by having Rocky’s best friend get killed in the ring by a humorless, steroid-filled communist from the USSR called Ivan Drago which forces Rocky out of retirement to get revenge on behalf Apollo Creed and the US of A. The fate of the free world rests on the muscular shoulders of a formerly downtrodden over-the-hill boxer from the cradle of American democracy, Philadelphia named Rocky Balboa.

Rocky IV is filled with all kinds of completely ridiculous scenes of Rocky training on a farm in the Siberian winter contrasted with high tech, state of the art steroid injecting by Drago, played by Dolph Lundgren, and an epic climactic boxing match that would have left two real boxers both brain damaged and, well, probably dead.

It’s even got a full-on YAY AMERICA music video in the middle of the movie featuring James Brown being completely awesome while he sings and dances his patriotic ass off, performing his song “Living In America.” Rocky IV is Rocky in peak form and walking proof that in the mid-'80s, Rocky and America were completely badass.

1. First Blood (1982)

The first of the Rambo movies, First Blood is actually a different kind of Rambo movie. It also helped launch Sylvester Stallone’s career as a badass '80s action star. It’s also a more serious movie than the others on this list, but that doesn’t make it less badass.

Co-written by Stallone himself and based on a novel by David Morell, First Blood is the story of the forgotten Vietnam vet in general and vet John Rambo specifically.

Stallone’s character, a Vietnam vet with a serious case of PTSD, is stopped by an overzealous small town cop named Teasle, played spectacularly by Brian Dennehy, as he walks through town looking for old members of his platoon in ‘Nam. Teasle is a no-nonsense American patriot who doesn’t like the cut of Rambo’s jib, so he drives him out of town and tells him to get lost. Rambo is hungry and wants to find a diner in town, but because he ignores Teasle’s directive to stay out town, Teasle arrests him for being a bum.

Boy, was that a mistake that Teasle would come to regret! Rambo, a Medal Of Honor winner for his badassery in Vietnam, promptly escapes the small town jail by overpowering the entire police force, including one cop played by a young David Caruso, and flees into the dense mountain forest surrounding the small Washington town.

From there, Rambo refights the Vietnam War against local and state officials, taking them out one by one using his jungle warfare knowledge and expertise. Teasle and the cops in town drew first blood, but Rambo was going to draw the last drops from all of them. Finally, his old commanding officer, played by the great Richard Crenna, flies in to talk Rambo off the cliff and eventually Rambo turns himself in, but not before he gets the ultimate revenge on Teasle like a total badass.

There are other Sylvester Stallone movies that could get squeezed onto this list. For instance, Stallone’s exploration of the world of arm wrestling as trucker trying to earn his son’s love and enough money for a new truck in Over The Top, or the totally awesome Cobra where Stallone plays a cop that plays by his own rules and doesn’t need the rest of the department’s help to take down the city’s biggest criminal organization. But they just missed this list.

Plus, there are two other Rambo movies and another on the way, all of which could be here. Not to mention the seven other Rocky movies or the two other Expendables! Over the last 40 years, if Sylvester Stallone has proven one thing, it’s that he knows how to be a complete badass.

He’s been a hero, a villain, a joker and a competitive diver. But if action superstar Jason Statham is known for anything, it’s his ability to kick a lot of ass. The most recent example of that piece of his career has been his success as an ass-kicker in the Fast and Furious film series, so much so that he’s half of the new spinoff, Hobbs and Shaw.

If you’re a fan of Jason Statham's, or are looking for a reason to get into his work, we recommend you, at the very least, watch the last two films in the Fast and Furious series to get caught up to the point that Hobbs and Shaw is at in the series. However, there are other movies in the Statham catalog you should be partaking in to get yourself pumped and ready for his latest action romp, and we have a good list of what those films should be.

So schedule a little bit of “me time” on the books, make sure you do your streaming and rental research as to how to get ahold of the Jason Statham movies we’re about to lay down and prepare for your very own film festival. Let’s call it “StathamFest,” which means that the following are your required stops on the StathamFest trail.

The Italian Job (2004)

With his career as an action lead getting a huge boost out of The Transporter’s surprise success, one of the Jason Statham movies that increased his visibility exponentially was director F. Gary Gray’s remake of the 1969 crime caper, The Italian Job.

Flexing his action hero muscles as Handsome Rob, Jason Statham also got to play the eye candy of Mark Wahlberg’s band of criminals, which was certainly a bonus for the audience that made it a theatrical hit. The Italian Job not only gave Statham a chance to be a comedic heartthrob, but it also gave him even more experience with the impressive car stunts that helped make his career what it is.

While we never got the proposed sequel, The Brazilian Job, we did get a Statham/Gray reunion when the star and director paired up for The Fate of The Furious; so The Italian Job is a good film to re-watch in preparation for the further adventures of Deckard Shaw.

The Transporter 2 (2005)

The Transporter is one of the earliest successes of Jason Statham’s career, as Frank Martin was the first blockbuster character that Statham had under his action belt. And with The Transporter 2 bringing Frank to the mean streets of Miami, the scenery is closer to home, along with the high flying automotive action.

While it acts as a sort of loose remake of Man On Fire, with Jason Statham’s Frank replacing Denzel Washington’s Creasy, the film is a full throttle thrill ride, complete with one of the most ridiculous action moments in the man’s entire career. The second of three installments with Statham as Mr. Martin, our hero is charged with not only preventing a viral outbreak, but also recovering a wealthy family’s child in the process.

A positively breathless ticking clock action film, The Transporter 2 is a Jason Statham movie quick enough to fit into any day’s schedule, but it’s also weighted enough to keep an audience fixed on the screen the whole time. If you believe one of life’s rules is a person knowing their car and its contents, in and out, this one is a no-brainer.

Crank (2006)

Mixed in with all of the big budget franchises and one-off action fests that make up the body of Jason Statham’s movies are some smaller, and definitely weirder, choices. Case in point is the extremely memorable Crank, directed by Neveldine/Taylor, a duo more than familiar with the world of the weird.

Jason Statham’s character this time around is Chev Chelios, with Crank seeing his protagonist injected with a drug intended to prevent the flow of adrenaline, in hopes of killing him dead. But, of course, as this is a Neveldine/Taylor directed film, Statham’s assassin antihero does have a way out of this mess. And it’s keeping his adrenaline pumping in such an extreme fashion, that methods such as electrocution and other feats tempting death are needed at all times in this single day thriller.

Pushing the boundaries of every force it comes into contact with, Crank makes for one of the weirdest, but also one of the most exhilarating Jason Statham movies in his collected canon. Proving that he can turn his charms and action talents to 11 when need be, Crank gave Statham the range he needed to eventually jump into the sort of antics that Hobbs and Shaw will eventually demand of him.

War (2007)

While Jason Statham and Jet Li would eventually team up yet again in The Expendables, their paths would cross earlier in the gang thriller War. Except in the instance of this particular film, Statham and Li faced off as nemeses in an all-out street fight between an FBI agent and a rogue element.

Jason Statham’s John Crawford is the FBI agent who’s swearing revenge against Jet Li’s former CIA operative Rogue, a target who survived his supposed death and not only killed Crawford’s partner, but also plans on starting a gang war between the Triads and the Yakuza. Things get pretty hairy as the two play cat and mouse on the streets of San Francisco, and will use everything at their disposal to strike the other where it hurts the most.

Another interesting connection that adds an interesting layer to watching War is the fact that Jason Statham’s character, Crawford, works with an FBI sniper by the name of Goi throughout the film’s duration. Playing Goi is none other than Sung Kang, better known as Han from the Fast and Furious universe; and considering how War ends, Jason Statham’s murder of Han in that particular series could be seen as pure revenge.

Death Race (2008)

Sometimes a movie gets remade because of its popularity. But in the case of director Paul W.S. Anderson’s Death Race, the film feels like a remake that is made to capitalize on the popularity of someone like Jason Statham. At least it feels that way, because wisecracks meet car stunts in this dystopian action extravaganza that screams its status as a Jason Statham movie.

Framed for a murder he didn’t commit, Jason Statham’s Jensen Ames is sent to prison and given the opportunity to win his own freedom through the titular Death Race. A televised pay-per-view spectacle, take The Running Man and infuse it with the DNA of NASCAR, and you’ve got the basic premise for this particular film.

As far as Jason Statham movies go, Death Race is sort of an underrated gem. Showcasing Statham’s abilities as an action lead, while also putting him into an ensemble that sees Joan Allen, Ian McShane and future Fast and Furious co-star Tyrese Gibson all mixing it up, Death Race is well worth tracking down if you’re serious about your Statham.

The Expendables (2010)

If there’s anything that the viewing public should know about Jason Statham by this entry in the list, it’s that he plays very well as both a lead and an ensemble member. The latter is part of why The Expendables is such a treat to watch, as the relatively fresh faced Statham gets to play with heavy hitters like Sylvester Stallone and Dolph Lundgren.

Hired to overthrow a villainous dictator, The Expendables sees some of the biggest names in action teaming up, or in some cases fighting against, the likes of Sylvester Stallone’s expendable team. Playing Lee Christmas, the team’s blade expert, Jason Statham gets to be a man who only talks when the conversation requires him to. And if he’s not talking, chances are his opponent is about to take some serious damage.

Whether it’s an island in the Gulf of Mexico or a basketball court on home soil, Jason Statham takes the fight to whomever stands in his way in The Expendables. Even though he appears as a member of the overarching ensemble, this Statham movie has enough action to excite the crowd and enough Statham magic for him to stand out from all the rest.

The Meg (2018)

Let’s just get something out of the way: The Meg is, by no means, a film that needs to be taken seriously. Getting past that though, it’s easy to see how people enjoyed this film so much, it became a blockbuster hit in 2018’s film market. And naturally, part of that success is Jason Statham’s Jonas Taylor.

Playing a rescue diver obsessed with proving the existence of a rare Megalodon, Jason Statham gets to be The Meg’s hero, front and center. As such, Jonas is wise, kind and not afraid to put his foot down; all the things you’d expect from a Statham performance, with a little more heroic charm allowed this time out.

In fact, it’s Jason Statham’s charm that helps anchor The Meg’s all-star cast, which also includes Rainn Wilson, Ruby Rose and Li Bingbing. And with both Statham and his cast fully in sync, the level of ridiculous spectacle and action is balanced in such a state that the audience can really sink their teeth into it. And if you want to make it a family affair, this film’s PG-13 rating will certainly allow the kids to enjoy this one alongside the adults in the room.

Jason Statham’s career is as varied as it is exciting, and this sampler pack of films is only the beginning of the proof to that point. So let StathamFest pump you up for a summer of action, as well as the eventual box office debut of Hobbs and Shaw. But more importantly, let these films entertain you while showing the many facets of Jason Statham’s career as a hero, a villain and a comic relief for the ages.

Hobbs and Shaw promises to kick the box office’s ass on August 2, but if you’re looking for some action prior to that point, check out the 2019 release schedule for more of the options available to you.

The Expendables 4 has had a roller-coaster journey, and we still don't know exactly when it's showing up. Whether he intended to hype that movie or not, Sylvester Stallone definitely got fans ready for more action with his recent Expendables throwback photo. Here's Sly with fellow "wiseguys" Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis from the set of The Expendables 2:

Arnold Schwarzenegger had tweeted the same pic out in October 2011 at the start of Expendables 2 production in Bulgaria.

The Expendables came out in 2010, directed and co-written by Sylvester Stallone, co-starring Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, and many more -- with uncredited cameos from Bruce Willis and Ahhhhnold.

The Expendables 2 came out in 2012, still co-written by Sylvester Stallone, but not directed by him. Jason Statham, Jet Li and Dolph Lundgren returned, along with Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger, plus Chuck Norris, Terry Crews, Jean-Claude Van Damme and more.

The Expendables 3 came out in 2014, still co-written by Sylvester Stallone, and this time adding Mel Gibson, Harrison Ford, Wesley Snipes, and many more. (Bruce Willis didn't bring Mr. Church back for the third movie.)

Based on that release schedule, you'd think The Expendables 4 would've shown up in 2016. But things got complicated.

First, in 2016, it was announced that the fourth movie would be happening as the final movie of the franchise, with Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, and Arnold Schwarzenegger all expected to return.

However, in March 2017, Sylvester Stallone walked away from the franchise. According to Deadline, it was because he and Nu Image/Millennium chief Avi Lerner could not find common ground on multiple fronts, including a new director.

In April 2017, Arnold Schwarzenegger told EW he wouldn't be in The Expendables 4 without Sylvester Stallone. Also, he wasn't that happy with how his role was written in the third movie. He loved the first two, and he loves the franchise, but he wouldn't return without Sly and without a better role for himself.

Fast forward to January 2018, and Sly Stallone gave fans renewed hope with this post:

Keep going to May 2018, and it looked official -- The Expendables 4 was back! Deadline had a report on distribution rights for both Rambo 5 -- which is coming to theaters later this year -- and The Expendables 4. According to that report, Stallone would star in The Expendables 4 in early 2019.

That's the last official word on the matter, other than Terry Crews saying he was out because of a producer's involvement.

But this new throwback photo from Sylvester Stallone may be another plug. Hopefully it's telling that it's from the second movie, which was the most successful with critics, fans, and the worldwide box office. Stay tuned for more updates. In the meantime, keep up with the films coming to the big screen this year -- including Rambo V: Last Blood -- with our handy movie release date schedule.

The Expendables franchise included some of the greatest action movie stars of the last 40 years or so. There were so many of them, however, that they don't all get a chance to shine the way they all might have liked. It turns out that Terry Crews' role in the original film was not going to be a very big part, but writer and director Sylvester Stallone loved Crews' performance so much, he changed the movie to give the actor a bigger, and more important role. According to Crews...

So let that be a lesson to us all. You should always give your all to every job you do, even if you don't think it's worth it. It might not always pay off, but sometimes it does.

In the case of Terry Crews, even though he was frustrated with a small role in The Expendables and his first inclination was to simply phone in the part and get it done, he ultimately decided not to do that. As a result, he impressed the boss to the point that he was given much more to do. Crews tells EW that Stallone changed the script so that Crews' character, whose name was Hale Caeser (let's all just enjoy that for a moment) was the one who rescued him in the film. Also, at least one scene that was never in the script was added on the set to give Crews more to do.

It probably also led to additional work for Terry Crews. If the character had only ever had a couple of lines in the first film, it's possible he might have been dropped entirely when it came time for Expendables sequels, but Crews returned for those as well.

A fourth installment of the Expendables franchise is expected to shoot this year. Most of the cast has not been confirmed, though the word is Terry Crews won't be back, though for unfortunate reasons. Still, he seems to have fond memories of the movies, so we'll see what happens.

Sylvester Stallone has managed to carve out a number of major franchises for himself over the years. One of the biggest on his resume is The Expendables, which started all the way back in 2010 and has since gone on to become a full trilogy, with a fourth installment reportedly on the way. The series has seen some solid success over the years, but it turns out that the original Expendables was actually almost a straight-to-video romp. Expendables actor Terry Crews explained:

Sylvester Stallone has experienced something of a resurgence in recent years, and it's easy to remember that he wasn't firing on all cylinders back in 2010. The actor had trouble getting the film off of the ground, and the studio was only going to let him have it in the form of a direct-to-video project. However, he was able to get fans involved by tweeting out that the film would include actors like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis, and per Terry Crews' recent remarks to GQ, that sparked the fire that got fans excited about the film.

The importance of The Expendables cannot be understated. Before the release of that film, Stallone had ridden some of his most iconic characters like Rocky Balboa and John Rambo off into the sunset for supposed final installments. However, The Expendables caused a significant resurgence that led to movies like Bullet to the Head, Creed, his appearance in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, and the upcoming production of Rambo 5.

In the end, it probably makes the folks involved with The Expendables very happy to know that Sylvester Stallone was able to make it into a theatrically-released property. The series has developed a relatively rabid fanbase of its own, and a fourth installment in the series is reportedly in development. We don't know the exact plot details just yet, or the precise lineup of Expendables to come back and join the team (though we can confirm Terry Crews won't be back), but it will be a fascinating story to watch as it unfolds.

Make sure to keep it here for more information related to The Expendables franchise as new details are made available to us. As for Terry Crews, you can catch him in Sorry to Bother You, which opens wide this weekend on July 20. If you want more info on Sorry to Bother You, then you can also check out our full review of the film!

Despite the financial success of The Expendables franchise, the series has had some trouble getting a fourth movie off the ground. It's been about three years since The Expendables 3, but there's been very little progress on The Expendables 4. Filming was supposed to begin sometime last year, and Sylvester Stallone, the lead character and a key creative player, departed from the project. Since then, the project has mostly been gathering dust, but it looks like Stallone may have had a change of heart. The actor posted a message to social media largely hinting that he is back in for The Expendables 4.

About nine months ago, Sylvester Stallone left The Expendables 4 and seemed to be done with the franchise. The reasons for his departure were mostly cited as the age-old "creative differences." Stallone and Nu Films/Millenium Films chief Avi Lerner were reportedly unable to reach an agreement on a choice of director, how to handle the script, and so on. It was a major blow to the project, and one that seemed to have killed it. But now it looks like things have changed. Stallone posted a message on his Instagram page of a poster of the first Expendables and wrote in the caption, "They're back!"

It's not exactly a cryptic message, but it likely shouldn't be taken as a 100% confirmation that The Expendables 4 is back on. A social media post is not an official confirmation. But something is clearly going down with this action franchise, and we can likely expect a bit more of an official announcement soon. At the very least, it looks like Sylvester Stallone is back in, otherwise someone else would have made this post.

Sylvester Stallone's involvement is good news for fans of the series. Not only was Stallone the main character, but he also directed the first movie and co-wrote all three screenplays. He's a main creative player, and while The Expendables series isn't very popular critically, Stallone was a driving force behind its appeal.

The Expendables is a series of action films that harken back to 80s and 90s action movies. The films star an ensemble of icons from that era, such as Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Bruce Willis, with new additions popping in for every new installment. It's pretty much the driving force for these movies, so should a fourth one be on the way, we can expect plenty of familiar action faces showing up.

There's bound to be some new developments or clarifications on The Expendables 4, so stick with CinemaBlend and we'll be sure to update you with new information as soon as it becomes available. In the meantime, there are plenty of other movies coming out soon, so learn about them all in our 2018 movie guide.

The DC Extended Universe is a funny place. Despite still being very much in its infancy, the studio has announced a ton of upcoming projects, with only a few of them actually having concrete release dates. One of the films that seems to actually be happening is Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman 2. Given the universal acclaim over the first film, this should come as a surprise to no one. With Jenkins officially signed up as the director and a member of the writer's team, things seem to be moving forward. And now another writer has joined she and Geoff Johns: The Expendables' Dave Callaham.

This news, which comes to us from THR, is sure to be exciting for DC fans, as Wonder Woman 2 is one of the only films that seems concrete in its plan for production. And while development is still very early, having three writers helping to craft the story of Diana Prince's second solo venture is a big step. Now if some of the other films can begin moving at this pace, the budding shared universe may be able to compete with the Marvel Cinematic Universe's behemoth phases of films.

Dave Callaham got his first writing job on the ill-fated sci-fi film Doom, starring Karl Urban. Based off the beloved video game of the same name, the film was unfortunately a box office failure when it hit theaters in 2005. Luckily Callaham would eventually strike gold through his work as a co-writer of the epic action ensemble film The Expendables. He crafted the film alongside Sylvester Stallone himself, which was a massive success that would spawn a handful of sequels. Unfortunately, Callaham was only slightly involved in the second film, being simply credited for creating the characters. Callaham also wrote the overall story for 2014's Godzilla.

While Dave Callaham doesn't have a ton of film credits, he's going to be involved in some exciting projects in the future. In addition to his newly announced role in Wonder Woman 2, he'll also be working on the untitled Zombieland sequel, which doesn't yet have a release date. He's raked up some credits on beloved franchises, and the presumed success of Wonder Woman 2 may give him the boost he needs to be a real player in the film industry.

It's currently unclear exactly what Wonder Woman 2 will be about, mostly because there are quite a few years to explore in between the events of the first film and Diana's eventual appearance in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Patty Jenkins had previously stated she was ready to modernize the time period a bit, and the film will no doubt be another standalone one that is free from the constrictions of its shared cinematic universe.

Wonder Woman is currently available for home purchase. Be sure to check our 2017 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Action icons tend to stick together. Through thick and thin, the cinematic badasses of the 1980s and 1990s have seemingly forged strong connections over the last few decades through their shared body of work. No film series epitomizes that concept more than Sylvester Stallone's Expendables franchise. However, Stallone recently dropped out of the planned fourth installment of the series, and now it seems that Arnold Schwarzenegger doesn't want to work on the film without his brother in arms.

During a recent conversation with EW, Arnold Schwarzenegger admitted that he would likely not return to The Expendables franchise without Sylvester Stallone. The former bodybuilding champion turned Hollywood icon appeared in the three previous Expendables films, but he apparently has no interest in reprising his role as Trench if Sylvester Stallone does not return to headline the series as Expendables leader Barney Ross because Stallone IS The Expendables franchise. It's not necessarily hard to understand what Schwarzenegger is talking about here; the franchise even derives its name from a famous line about John Rambo being "expendable" from First Blood: Part II. There's a very easy case that you truly cannot have an Expendables movie without Stallone's involvement. Schwarzenegger said:

Arnold Schwarzenegger's hesitation to come back to The Expendables franchise (coupled with Sylvester Stallone's departure) raises some fairly legitimate questions about the future of the series. They're two of the most bankable stars in the entire franchise, so removing them would put quite a bit of extra weight on Jason Statham's shoulders -- and he already looks pretty comfortable over in the Fast & Furious franchise. Guys like Dolph Lundgren and Terry Crews are certainly popular actors, but they're not major box office draws, so the Expendables may need to start a massive recruitment program if they want to live to fight another day. Schwarzenegger also revealed that the current plan is for The Expendables 4 to begin shooting as early as August, so the folks behind the sequel will need to move fast.

Of course, now seems like a good enough time to offer up another critical question: do we need another Expendables movie? The series is grounded in an incredibly novel concept, but the films have continuously deteriorated in quality since the first film debuted in 2010. It's clear that Sylvester Stallone can still get his fellow action icons onboard for other franchises (such as 2013's Escape Plan, which starred Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger) so now might simply be the time to let The Expendables franchise rest in peace so that the actors can move on to something else entirely.

We will bring you more information related to the future of The Expendables 4 as more details are made available to us. For now, you can catch Arnold Schwarzenegger in Aftermath, which will debut in theaters and on VOD this Friday. For more information related to the rest of this year's theatrical movie debuts, check out our comprehensive movie premiere guide.

Happy New Years Eve everyone! 2017 is looking to be a very cool year for cinema with three Marvel movies, Star Wars Episode VIII, War for the Planet of the Apes, John Wick: Chapter 2, Wonder Woman, and a dozen more I can't possibly fit into this little introduction. Well, hopefully, all of those movies can keep us in our seats until 2018, because that's when The Expendables 4 is hoping to explode into theaters with its meaty fist. Yes, the action heavy team-up franchise will be pushing out one last hoorah, and Sylvester Stallone has revealed when the film is expected to begin filming.

That's not a very exciting thumbnail image for this video, but hey, it's Facebook.

Sylvester Stallone took to Facebook to send a personal video message, letting his fans know that The Expendables 4 is looking to begin film sometime next year. In fact, Stallone is already starting his workout regime to get in shape for the film. Seeing as how the film is expecting a release in 2018, we're probably looking at a start date sometime in the spring. We don't know how much development has already gone into the film, but since when has story ever been a concern for an Expendables movie? What people really care about is who will be IN the movie.

So far, only Stallone, Jason Statham, and Arnold Schwarzenegger are expected to return for the fourth and final Expendables film. We can probably count on Terry Crews, Randy Couture, Dolph Lundgren, and Jet Li to reprise their roles as well- seeing as how they've been in every film in the series thus far. The Expendables has featured a who's who of 80's and 90's action stars, with cameos from Bruce Willis, Harrison Ford, Wesley Snipes, and Chuck Norris. It's hard to predict who will finally make the cut, but we're sure to find out soon enough. Personally, I think it's only a matter of time before Vin Diesel answers the call.

The Expendables follows a team of mercenaries of the same name who go on deadly missions to fight criminals... and wear matching berets. The movies contain tongue in cheek references to classic actions films of decades past, and frequently feature roles with some of the biggest action icons. It's basically The Avengers of action films. If the Avengers bulked up and said nothing but their old catchphrases, that is.

The first and seconds Expendables films were rated R, but The Expendables 3 went for a PG-13 rating. It's unknown what rating The Expendables 4 will eventually get ,but given the recent trend and success of R-rated action films (hello, Deadpool and John Wick), it's possible that the franchise will return to a bloodier rating.

Not much else is known about The Expendables 4, but be sure to check back in with CinemaBlend and we'll keep you updated as new information becomes available.

After three films in the Expendables franchise, things seem to have gone fairly quiet on that front. While we wait to hear about the inevitable Expendables 4 or the even more inevitable Expendables reboot, Sylvester Stallone has decided there's one thing that he absolutely needs to get off his chest. He is not now, nor does he ever plan to be, involved in an all-female cast Expendables movie. Well, thank god he cleared that up.

In one of the more oddly timed public denials in recent memory, Deadline is reporting that Sylvester Stallone "wants it known" that he is not, in any way, involved in an Expendables movie with an all-female cast. The statement seems a little strange, as, until we read this, we had honestly forgotten that there was ever talk about such a film. It's been a couple of years since we heard anything at all about The Expendabelles, as it was being referred to, and we just sort of assumed that project had fallen into development hell with the rest of the hair-brained ideas.

While we do have this story from nearly two years ago, where The Hollywood Reporter claimed that Sylvester Stallone was working on the female-centric spinoff, that's about the most recent story we can track down. Since then everything about the idea seems to have died. We're not sure why Stallone felt the need to make this public statement now. Maybe he spent the weekend Googling himself and just came across the story recently. It's also possible that he just recently noticed the backlash that the female Ghostbusters have had to deal with, and Stallone was afraid he'd get painted with that brush.

Of course, the other reason that Sylvester Stallone may want to end any Expendables conversations is that the man is back to being a hot property in Hollywood. Following his performance in Creed, Sly won the Golden Globe and was nominated for an Academy Award. When people remember you as an aging action hero it's fine to cash in on that image. However, there's little that Hollywood loves as much as the aging dramatic actor who has never won an Oscar. If Stallone is looking for a role that might still get him that Best Actor award, he probably wants to eliminate all discussions of Expendables movies. We hope that's not the reason, as, by making the denial, the actor is having the opposite impact, and now we're talking about The Expendables again.

Are you interested in seeing a female version of the Expendables, or is this final nail in the coffin of the idea the news you were waiting for? Had you completely forgotten the idea existed until just now?

Hollywood has become all about the franchise business. Between the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the expansion of Star Wars, and the fact Harry Potter isn’t finished even though the books are done, the folks who make movies just can’t seem to make one movie when they could make three. That’s fine, trilogies are like a thing. Beginning, middle, end, it makes sense. When you go and make that fourth movie, however, that’s when it becomes more obvious that the goal is not to expand the story but the bank balance. So get ready for the fourth film in a series that was done after the first one. The Expendables are coming back.

According to Variety Millennium Films and Nu Image the production companies behind the first three Expendables films have secured a financing deal with a pair of Beijing-based companies, SSXH and Max Screen. The deal will give Expendables 4 a $100 million budget and will likely result in China being used for some locations on screen. No director or cast have been announced. We’d like to repeat that last bit. They have announced a new Expendables movie without announcing any cast.

The entire point of the Expendables is the cast. There certainly isn’t much of a movie in these things. These movies exist to drag 30 and 40-year-old moviegoers into the theater to see all the great action stars they remember from their teens. Ignoring for the moment the fact that we’ve already seen that happen three times previously, so the gimmick has now become as old as the stars of the movie, but even if you want to see that a fourth time, there’s no guarantee you actually will. While the new film is "expected" to maintain its action star formula, the fact is that this movie will likely move forward, even if they can’t bring the gang back together. At least some of the actors have expressed interest in doing another film, so we don’t expect the movie to be vacant of star power.

We know we sound like a broken record around here but every time we think we have a handle on how big a player China has become in the global entertainment business they just show us how much bigger they are. It’s no accident that this pre-sales deal took place with Chinese companies. These movies have been huge business in China. Expendables 3 bombed something fierce in North America, taking in less than $40 million, but they made twice that in China.

So hey, if you’re one of the few people who’ve been hoping for a new Expendables movie, your wish has been granted. Is there anybody left who hasn’t been in these movies?

If you’re anything like us, then you’ve spent hours wondering just how many punches Jason Statham has thrown over his long career. Well wonder no longer, as YouTube channel Burger Fiction has compiled a super cut of every punch ever administered by the British action star.

Proceeding roughly in chronological order through Statham’s long career (although some scenes are presented out of order), the supercut starts with Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels; showcases the numerous franchises he headlines such as The Transporter, and The Expendables; and culminates in his more recent villainous appearance in Furious 7. Obviously not all of his roles are featured, such as his Handsome Rob character from The Italian Job – who mostly stayed behind the wheel and never laid a hand on anybody – but most of his career is represented in some capacity.

The video has everything: dramatic punches, comedic punches, and even an animated punch thrown in for good measure. Some end in death, some end in unconsciousness – but all certainly end in glorious bodily harm. All told, the video tallies 264 total blows administered to unfortunate bad guys by the iconic action star, making one wonder if studios actually pay Statham by the punch.

If it seems as though Jason Statham knows his way around a haymaker, that’s because he does. Outside of motion pictures, he trains in kickboxing and has become incredibly accomplished in the sport, translating that passion to the big screen when called upon. He has joined the ranks of numerous accomplished fighters who have gone on to become action stars, such as: Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris, Tony Jaa, Gina Carano, and – more recently Ronda Rousey.

Beyond that, Statham has become incredibly involved in the stunt work of his own films – even going so far as to actually dangle outside of a helicopter in the action thriller Crank. He’s also become one of the industry’s most vocal advocates for stunt workers to receive recognition by the Academy Awards for their contribution to the art form.

As his most recent foray into the action genre was in one of the highest grossing movies of all time – Furious 7 – we can safely assume that Jason Statham’s punches will have an audience for many more years to come. Considering his talents, we would not necessarily be surprised if a video showcasing his ability to kick followed this one shortly as well.

When The Expendables 3 failed to match the box office sum of its predecessors, the blame was immediately placed at the feet of the nifty individual who stole a digital copy of the film and released it on the world wide web. But now, Sylvester Stallone and his aggressive posse of vigilantes have got an ounce of retribution after an individual was arrested in England and charged with the illegal leak of the film.

Deadline reports that a crack team consisting of the U.K.’s Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, and the MPAA came together to hunt down the man they believe is responsible. It was basically just like The Expendables, but probably with less muscle, more brains, and it was, even with the necessary paperwork, probably less tedious.

Who was the dastardly mastermind behind this daring cyber robbery? Well it turns out that the unnamed individual is 26-years-old, and the only other information we have is that he was arrested at his place of work in Leeds on Thursday morning. Authorities searching for further evidence also ransacked his home in the nearby town of Halifax.

Soon after it was revealed that someone had been arrested in connection with the leak, Sylvester Stallone took the opportunity to thank those involved, while also insisting that more needs to be done to protect creatives. His statement declared:

After the arrest, Mick Dodge, a City Of London Police Detective Inspector, insisted that this would likely be the first of many arrests as the combined forces begin their efforts to crackdown on "criminals exploiting intellectual property for their own financial gain." Based out of the City Of London Police Department’s Economic Crime Directorate, the PIPCU began the investigation in September 2013, and they were able to make this arrest after Lionsgate uncovered that the theft of just one digital copy led to the film being plastered across the Internet.

The Expendables 3 was released on August 15, 2014, to the same mixed reviews that greeted the first two instalments. But, more alarmingly for the studio, its box office was more than $70 million less than 2010’s The Expendables, and $100 million less than The Expendables 2. The blame for this failure was immediately laid at the door of a DVD-quality illegal leak, which hit the Internet three weeks before the film was released. In fact, after just one week it was estimated that The Expendables 3 had been illegally downloaded over 2 million times. It’s not known if those who downloaded it are planning to sue either Sly Stallone or the 26-year-old who allegedly uploaded it for wasting their time.

With The Expendables franchise, Sylvester Stallone certainly hit on an intriguing concept: throw a bunch of aging action heroes into a movie together and let them do what they do best, kick ass. Since the first movie hit in 2010, there’s been talk of damn near every genre getting its own Expendables-style offering, mashing icons together, and Bruce Campbell still has eyes on making this happen for horror.

Campbell first mentioned the notion of a horror Expendables, which would bring together all manner of genre legends to go after a single foe, back in 2010, and while his idea is still a ways off, it’s very much in play. Talking to Movieweb, the Evil Dead star said:

The subject came up again when Campbell was asked about the prospects of Bruce Vs. Frankenstein, a long gestating sequel to his 2008 horror comedy My Name is Bruce, which sees him play a version of himself tasked with battling an ancient Chinese god of the dead. It sounds like the script, which has had problems in the past (he once said it “sucked”), is coming together, and taking a different turn as Campbell finds places for his fellow genre compatriots.

Initially, it was Campbell’s commitment to the USA series Burn Notice that kept this on the back burner. With the first season of the Evil Dead series, Ash Vs. Evil Dead, gearing up for production, it doesn’t sound like this is likely to happen anytime soon. That show will film 10 half-hour episodes later this year in New Zealand, before airing on Starz, and will likely take up a fair amount of the 56-year-old actor’s time for the foreseeable future.

In reality, this isn’t a terribly pressing concern for me. I’m much more interested in Ash Vs. Evil Dead than whatever tag team Campbell may have cooking. As incredible an idea as The Expendables is—it’s like 11-year-old me’s wildest dream come true—it’s been better as a concept than as executed in real life. That’s not stopping them from continuing down this path, though, as Stallone is developing an Expendables TV show.

And horror has never been shy about teaming up. From the 1940s to now, with titles like Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man to King Kong vs. Godzilla to Freddy vs. Jason, the genre is full of franchises crossing over and various fiends coming together, teaming up, and clashing. All you need to do is look at one of Rob Zombie’s films, which sometimes play out like a who’s who of actors from his favorite horror and exploitation films.

Are you looking forward to seeing a bunch of horror icons gathered together on the big screen? Or have we had enough talk of The Expendables of Blank and it’s time to let the dream die?

Sylvester Stallone’s Expendables franchise has made a lot of money, and while there hasn’t been talk of making a fourth movie, it looks like the franchise could still live on. On Thursday, we learned that Fox is working on putting together an event series based on the three movies. Currently, Stallone is attached as an executive producer, but it does not look as if he will star should the Expendables TV project move forward.

The Expendables is actually a Lionsgate property, and the company has been attempting to sell a series based on the movies since at least 2012. This time around, Fox seems interested and has ordered a script for the project, and NCIS’ Shane Brennan is even signed on as the showrunner. In addition, Greg Coolidge and Kirk Ward are set to write the project.

The Expendables is still in the pretty early stages, so no cast members have been signed on, yet. However, Deadline reports that Fox plans to “unite iconic TV stars” for the gig. Which means the likes of Stallone and Bruce Willis are out. In addition, Wesley Snipes is also attached to the TV pilot Endgame, so he won’t get a chance to play a big part like he should have had in The Expendables 3. There are plenty of TV action stars, of course, but we likely won’t be seeing anything like the Expendables cast.

We know that heavy hitting action dramas can work. Shows like Cinemax’s Banshee have proven that there is still an audience for throwback action premises. My own concern, however, is how the Expendables would need to change in order to fit a network TV channel’s standards (unlike Banshee, which does whatever it wants on a pay cable network). Since The Expendables was primarily successful when it was a violent, heavy-hitting and R-rated movie franchise, I’m not sure where a show based on the films would really fit into Fox’s lineup.

This holds especially true, since Sylvester Stallone has admitted in the past that making The Expendables 3 a PG-13 action flick was a huge mistake, even stating it “won’t happen again.” Essentially, bringing The Expendables to TV would mean the Expendables will be going soft once more, just in a different medium.

There are a lot of TV projects this season based on popular movie franchises. Minority Report is also getting a pilot over at Fox, with some of the same characters from the film. Frequency, Problem Child, Uncle Buck and more have already been bandied about for next season. I’m not saying The Expendables is among the worst of these ideas, but I’m not yet convinced it’s among the best, either.

Today is the day when, all around the world, fireworks are ignited as people celebrate the departure of 2014 and the arrival of 2015. So it seems only appropriate that we would end our year in cinema with a bang as well:

This is the latest supercut to come our way from the folks over at Screen Junkies, and it's pretty hard to argue with their choices for the most memorable cinematic explosions. They borrow from multiple genres and multiple generations to assemble what is a pretty fantastic collection of big boom moments from his history of blockbusters.

Some of these explosions are fairly recent - like the one from James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy - and some are just so memorable that we will never forget them - like the explosion of the Death Star in the original Star Wars - but can you name all of the movies that are featured in this video? Give it your best shot and then check your answers below, courtesy of the video's description on YouTube:

• Fight Club
• Lethal Weapon 3
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014)
• The Mask
• Face/Off
• Die Hard with a Vengeance
• Independence Day
• Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
• The Dark Knight
• Transformers: Age of Extinction
• Tropic Thunder
• The Expendables
• Guardians of the Galaxy
• Star Wars
• Star Wars: Return of the Jedi
• Die Hard
• Django Unchained
• Caddyshack
• V for Vendetta
• Strangelove
• Ghostbusters
• The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
• Robocop (1987)
• Terminator 2: Judgment Day
• Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
• The Terminator
• Speed
• Oz The Great and Powerful
• The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
• Mary Poppins
• Rio
• Paul
• The Theory of Everything
• Neighbors
• The Croods

This compilation has just about everything you'd want on it, from the rooftoop boom in Die Hard to the jungle bombing in Tropic Thunder, and it even includes a surprising number of movies from this past year... but there is one gripe that I have. The intro from Fight Club is cool, but how could you not include the shot of the towers exploding at the end? The Dark Knight was in there a few times - so why no love for David Fincher's cult hit?

While we're talking about 2014 coming to an end, it feels appropriate to thank all of you awesome readers out there for spending another year with us covering an amazing year in film. We saw a lot of amazing stuff unfold over the last 12 months, and have a great deal to look forward to next year, so be sure to come back in 2015 as we head off on a brand new cinematic adventure!

The Expendables have fallen, and they can't get up. This weekend's box office suggests that The Expendables 3 has at least temporarily ended the big budget action franchise spotlighting action heroes of yesterday and tomorrow. Though many reasons have been stated as to why the series has shown declining popularity, one suggestion was a massive piracy leak weeks ago, as a pristine copy of the film circulated online weeks before release. But is piracy really the boogeyman here?

The New York Times crunched the numbers and found out that, if the downloads represented paying customers (and many came from overseas), then the film lost a potential $4 million in gross. Which is nothing to sneeze at – that's basically an entire Bruce Willis salary. But it's not a doomsday scenario depicted by some who are discussing the movie's flopping. If the third one was going to do the exact same business of the second movie, which debuted to $28 million, the money lost would still not account for an additional $6 million it lost in registering its feeble $16 million starter.

That's assuming all the downloads occurred in America, which they absolutely didn't – the franchise has been much healthier internationally, with 72% of the second film's overall gross coming from foreign territories. It's still too early to forecast how well part three will do worldwide, though The Expendables 2 banked $53 million in China back before that country's film economy was still taking shape, and was not yet the juggernaut it is today. Remember, it was the biggest region for Transformers: Age Of Extinction, pulling in a staggering $300 million. Maybe The Expendables 4 is still alive, even if they'll need to make some necessary adjustments.

So, we're back to the dreaded "franchise fatigue" as a reason for why this film failed. That makes sense, as the first film had the greatest appeal. Here were some of the greatest action legends in one place, finally. It's the sort of gimmick you can only pull off once, and just because the second one gave Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis more to do while opening the door for Jean-Claude Van Damme and Chuck Norris doesn't mean the film had the same novelty. The third film had a similar lack of appeal: the second at least had the thrill of a lot of guys who haven't been on big screens in awhile, particularly Schwarzenegger. But the third film's theoretically exciting additions of Mel Gibson, Harrison Ford and Wesley Snipes were less exciting, because of course they would do the movie: none of those guys have been strangers to taking a quick paycheck.

After 2002's Signs, Gibson's only other big mainstream film was Edge Of Darkness, and he's only been in indies and flops since then. Snipes, a would-be star attraction, hasn't made a major movie since Blade Trinity a full ten years ago. That would appeal to someone who enjoys R-rated movies. PG-13 audiences, not so much.

So, long story short, blame all of that. Not piracy.

The new competition this weekend was no competition at all, leaving the box office to begin sloughing through its slow, steady chain of mostly sleepy stuff that fills in the gap between the end of summer and the beginning of the holiday bonanza.

Let's Be Cops was the highest grossing newcomer, but only managed a distant third place with $17 million. From a cash flow stand point it's not bad for a movie made on a $17 million budget. It's also not bad for a movie that took two funny actors and generally tried to figure out how unfunny they could be made to look.

The latest in a series of withering franchises to hit theaters this summer, The Expendables tanked hard as its third installment made just $16 million, little more than half of the $28 million its predecessor made when it debuted and well behind the $34 million the original movie earned its opening weekend. Fortunately for the movie's aging action cast, the movies have done increasingly well in foreign markets, a fact that may secure the franchise for another couple of films.

Despite an award winning cast pedigree, fantasy flick The Giver languished in fifth place with just $12 million. The failure could be due to limited marketing or word of mouth that it's not true enough to its award winning source material. Whatever the reasons, it's not on the fast track to either critical or financial success despite having just $25 million in production costs to overcome.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles dropped almost 60% from last weekend, but held the number one spot, adding $28 million to its domestic total and crossing the $100 million mark. Guardians of the Galaxy held on to second place, adding $24 million and passing the $200 million threshold. At this rate it's on track to move past $250 million and topple Transformers 4 to become the third highest grossing movie of the year to date.

Speaking of Transformers 4, the movie is settling in at about $245 million domestically, the lowest in the franchise. However, at over $800 million in foreign sales it is the most successful of the franchise movies abroad. At $1.05 billion so far world wide it's on track to edge past Transformers: Dark of the Moon's top international total of $1.1 billion.

For the full weekend top ten, check out the chart below:

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014)

$28,400,000Total: $117,642,000LW: 1

THTRS: 3,980

Guardians of the Galaxy

$24,735,000Total: $222,281,000LW: 2

THTRS: 3,697

Let's Be Cops *

$17,700,000Total: $26,107,000LW: N

THTRS: 3,094

The Expendables 3 *

$16,200,000Total: $16,200,000LW: N

THTRS: 3,221

Into The Storm

$7,720,000Total: $31,341,000LW: 3

THTRS: 3,434

Lucy

$5,317,000Total: $107,537,000LW: 5

THTRS: 2,520

Action fans are dreamers. Action movies are by their very nature fantasies, built upon the idea that we can solve the world's problems with punches, kicks and bullets. And The Expendables is the ultimate dream for action fans, teaming up some of the greatest action heroes of all time in a epic filled with machismo, toughness and biceps biceps biceps. But there are only three Expendables films, and there are only so many action heroes you can add to that roster. So what if The Expendables threw a party, and The Fast And The Furious crew crashed it?

The honorable President Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Herbert Camacho, aka Terry Crews, was asked by Digital Spy about his dream for the future, after The Expendables 3. His dream is a big one, a beautiful one, a dream that we can all share. Said the actor of the possible mashup,

Watch the below video, and skip to the part about 2:00 in:

For a moment, let us hold hands, and dream together: dream the dream of President Camacho. Let's do some math:

The Expendables 3 features a core Expendables team of Sylvester Stallone, Dolph Lundgren, Jet Li, Jason Statham, Randy Couture, and President Camacho, with Arnold Schwarzenegger, Harrison Ford Wesley Snipes, and Antonio Banderas in support, along with a whole bunch of action newbies like Ronda Rousey and Tito Ortiz aboard. Very exciting.

Then there's the coming Fast And Furious 7, which features franchise mainstays Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson and Michelle Rodriguez, as well as Djimon Honsou, Tony Jaa, villains Statham and Kurt Russell, and once again Ms. Rousey. And, well, the gods wept.

President Camacho also suggests he'd love to see the likes of Russell, Johnson, Diesel, Steven Seagal, Mark Wahlberg, and The A-Team, which presumably would include Liam Neeson (YES), Bradley Cooper (alright), Sharlto Copley (no) and Rampage Jackson (… that's ok). If we can limit that to Neeson and trade out The A-Team to Taken 3 and bring him in as Bryan Mills, yes.

This would mean Lionsgate would have to work on a deal with Universal to allow these worlds to clash. The Expendables is only a two film franchise as I write this, but so far its collected $579 million in worldwide theatrical gross. The last two films in the Fast And Furious saga EACH collected more money, and that franchise has accounted for $2.4 billion in ticket sales for Universal. And the seventh film will probably be a massive event, given that it's the final film in the series for late star Paul Walker. The Expendables 2 opened to $28 million, but this Friday's part three is only tracking in the vicinity of $23 million. So yeah, Universal has absolutely no financial motivation to make this happen.

But, for a moment, let's dream. Let's dream that Dom Toretto and his crew of drivers (including Letty, Roman, Tej and oldest teenager ever Sean Boswell) have to face an unstoppable menace, an evil drug baron (played by Steven Seagal) who is working with a corrupt politician (Jeff Speakman) to limit carbon emissions under the guise of prompting World War IV in the Middle East. And the crew's only hope is to locate an independent, elderly paramilitary group headed by Barney Ross. And to gain access into secret government files, Luke Hobbes needs to contact off-the-grid special agent Darius Stone (Ice Cube) to uncover a massive human trafficking case, with one of the targets being a now-grown-up Kim Mills (Maggie Grace). Once they finally capture the drug baron, they can't break him and get him to give up nuclear codes. Calling in a favor, Ross dials up the former head of CTU, Jack Bauer. Within minutes, they all find out it's a scheme orchestrated from the very top by... Mr. Church! Bruce Willis cackles, President Camacho is a profet, the screen reads TO BE CONTINUED and everyone is a billion dollars richer. It's beautiful.

What we have here is a movie/video game crossover that was basically made in heaven. Melding together perfectly like peanut butter and jelly, or perhaps a machinegun and an extra clip of ammo, are Broforce and the upcoming movie starring every action hero known to man, The Expendables 3. Get locked and loaded for…The Expendabros.

My knee-jerk reaction when I see a word like “Expendabros,” or when I read about a movie crossover promotion with a video game, is to roll my eyes as dramatically as humanly possible. I got about a third of the way through this particular eye roll when it suddenly occurred to me how absolutely perfect this particular pairing is. It’s no Mario Kart/Mercedes Benz, of course, but it’s up there.

I mean, think about it: Broforce is a love letter to action movies of the 80’s and 90’s, featuring Bro-erized versions of just about every big-muscled hero imaginable. Players parade around 2D environments, blowing stuff up and murdering enemy soldiers by the dozens. If that doesn’t sound like half of the plot to an Expendables movie, I don’t know what does.

Speaking of plots, here’s a rundown of what you can expect out of the brand new game, available free of charge starting today on PC via Steam.

“The Expendabros have assembled and set their sights on the forces of ruthless arms dealer Conrad Stonebanks in the forests of Eastern Europe,” reads a statement from Free Lives and Devolver Digital. “Battle in a flurry of bullets and non-stop action through ten full-throttle missions set amongst the picturesque tree tops and the absurdly dangerous lumber mills teeming with enemy soldiers, excessive artillery, and inconveniently placed circular saws.”

Your mission is to rescue fellow captured Expendabros while taking control of seven playable characters, each boasting their own weapons and special attacks. Even better is that, just like in the Expendables movies, teamwork is always the best road to victory, as the game allows for up to four-player local multiplayer co-op.

The game is available now, so just head on over to Steam and get your free copy downloading. This offer is available through Dec. 31, though I doubt it will take you that long to decide whether or not you want a gratis game called Expendabros.

And, just in case you need an extra dose of testosterone to get you pumped for the game, here’s the latest trailer for the movie, launching in theaters next week.