Prison break movies have become a genre in their own right over the years as films like Escape From Alcatraz, The Great Escape and The Shawshank Redemption have captured our imaginations. Though we haven't seen many of these films lately, one of the most exciting escape movies in recent years was Mikael Hafstrom's Escape Plan. That film ultimately worked because of the excellent chemistry between Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger, and now it seems that the upcoming sequel is going to flip the script by casting Stallone alongside Dave Bautista this time around.
According to a recent report from THR, it seems that Dave Bautista has officially signed on to co-star in Escape Plan 2 alongside Sylvester Stallone. As a sequel to 2013's Escape Plan, the WWE star-turned-movie star will replace Arnold Schwarzenegger -- who appeared in the first installment in the franchise, but did not sign on for the sequel. I don't know why Stallone's character would even want to go back into a prison again after the events of the first movie, but the decision will undoubtedly lead to some stellar action sequences.
The ultimate beauty of an Escape Plan franchise is the way in which it combines DNA from two very distinct genres. It uses the muscle-bound machismo of classic 1980s action films (in a way that's quite similar to Stallone's Expendables series) while also utilizing the more cerebral mentality of the escape film genre. These guys do not just blow through wave after wave of bad guys (although they definitely do that that as well), they also think critically about their prison and come up with genius escape plans -- hence the title. It is that balance that made the first Escape Plan work so well, so we are keeping our fingers crossed that it lends itself to the franchise treatment.
On that note, Dave Bautista has slowly but surely established himself as one of the more savvy action stars in Hollywood, as he has proven time and time again that he knows how to pick good franchises to propel his career forward. In addition to his role as Drax the Destroyer in the Guardians of the Galaxy series (which is easily his most iconic role to date), he has turned in performances in the Riddick series and the James Bond franchise. Couple those roles with his future involvement in Blade Runner 2049 and Escape Plan 2, and it becomes even clearer that the action star is not going anywhere anytime soon. We will not be surprised if he starts headlining A-list movies of his own within the next few years.
Make sure to stay tuned for more information related to Escape Plan 2. The sequel is currently set to begin production this spring. You can catch Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer (and Sylvester Stallone in an unspecified role) when Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 hits theaters later this year on May 5.
Check out a trailer for the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy sequel on the next page!
