The words of Chumbawamba could easily apply to the career of Sylvester Stallone: “I get knocked down, but I get up again, you’re never going to keep me down.” That’s our roundabout way of letting you know that Variety is reporting that Nu Image and Millennium have just made pre-sales deals with SP International Pictures on behalf of SSXH Beijing and Max Screen Film Distribution to bring us The Expendables 4.
This news comes despite The Expendables 3 only grossing $39 million domestically, which would have made it an out-and-out flop if not for the robust $167 million it took in overseas. Expendables 4 is expected to shoot in 2016 (partly in China) for a 2017 release, although the director and cast have yet been announced, though the trade assures that the all-star action formula will be followed to the letter with a budget north of $100 million. The Expendables franchise features Stallone as mercenary team leader Barney Ross, with kick-ass heavyweights like Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Terry Crews, Randy Couture and Arnold Schwarzenegger making up the core group.
Stallone, who spoke to CraveOnline for the Blu-ray release of The Expendables 3, stated that he blamed the box office disappointment of the threequel on its attempt to reach a wider audience with a PG-13 rating, a mistake he said “won’t happen again.” He also teased that it was probable that a prominent member of the team would kick the bucket in a fourth film.
“It’s is a big conflict for me,” said Stallone. “because in an R-rated film it is difficult to believe that none of the heroes die. I personally just believe that the characters become identifiable and their demise could put a dark cloud over an audience exiting the theatre after seeing the film. But that may change in ‘Expendables 4’…”
Shortly before the failure of The Expendables 3, Millennium also trumpeted plans for an all-female spin-off film titled The ExpendaBelles with Killers and 21 director Robert Luketic brought aboard to helm. Although they were initially targeting big names like Cameron Diaz, Milla Jovovich, Sigourney Weaver and even Meryl Streep(!), there has been no recent movement on the project.
