The Expendables 2 rolled into theatres this past weekend, topping the US box office with an estimated $28.75m. We heard last week that Nicolas Cage, Clint Eastwood, and Harrison Ford are amongst the early names being sought after for The Expendables 3, and now word comes of an all-female take on Stallone’s action blockbuster.

Variety report that Adi Shankar, executive producer on The Grey, Killing Them Softly, and Dredd 3D, will produce for his banner, 1984 Private Defense Contractors, which will fully finance the film, and that talks are already underway with a number of prominent actresses, with screenwriter Dutch Southern hired to pen the script.

As yet, there’s no word on who could be starring in the film, but if they’re aiming for anything like The Expendables and its sequel/s, it’s going to be one hell of an all-star cast.

For now, we can only speculate, so here are a few of my own predictions/ideas. Be sure to drop us your thoughts and hopes in the comments below.

 

Lucy Liu (Kill Bill, Vol. I): Liu was one of the best things about Tarantino’s Kill Bill, showing a new side to her as the leader of the Tokyo yakuza. She of course starred as one of the leads in the Charlie’s Angels reboot, and has action experience aplenty.

Kristen Stewart (The Twilight Saga): Stewart is pretty much one of the biggest actresses alive at the moment, and has been for years. Thought the early Twilight films may not have shown an action side to her, this last instalment should see her going all out alongside Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner, after a brilliant Joan of Arc-esque performance in Snow White and the Huntsman this year.

Gina Carano (Haywire): Carano turned so many heads with her performance in Steven Soderbergh’s Haywire, and we can’t wait to see her take on The Fast and the Furious 6 next year.

Summer Glau (Serenity): Glau is by far one of my all-time favourite actresses, and deserves infinitely more recognition than she gets. As one of the leading stars in Joss Whedon’s Firefly, and then Serenity, she excelled as River Tam, and I can think of literally no other stars who could have given the performance she gave us.

Jennifer Lawrence (The Hunger Games): Oscar-nominated at such a young age, Lawrence proved herself this year in The Hunger Games, one of the highest-grossing films of 2012. She’s currently one of the most recognisable faces in the industry, and an all-female cast would do well to have her on board.

Michelle Rodriguez (The Fast and the Furious): Rodriguez has proven to be one of the best female action stars currently working, doing brilliant across the Fast and Furious franchise, and will be returning next month in Resident Evil: Retribution.

Anne Hathaway (The Dark Knight Rises): Unrealistic, sure. But who thought The Expendables could put together the roster it did before the first film?

Milla Jovovich (Resident Evil): Jovovich is one of the first names that springs to mind when you say ‘female action star’. She’s got the look and skills to pull off what few others can, demonstrating with the likes of Resident Evil, The Fifth Element, and The Perfect Getaway that she is one of the best female action stars around.

Uma Thurman (Kill Bill, Vols. I and II): As the Bride in Tarantino’s two-parter, Kill Bill, Thurman is of course another name that immediately springs to mind. She’s mostly focused on dramas in recent years, and it would be brilliant to see her return to the action genre we love her in.

Eliza Dushku (Dollhouse): Another of Whedon’s go-to actresses, Dushku first came to light in Buffy, before transitioning over to Angel, and then taking the lead in Dollhouse. She’s got more action in her right foot than most male action heroes do in their entire body, and seeing Dushku as part of the roster is a must.

Sigourney Weaver (Alien): I have of course not forgotten about Sigourney Weaver, star of the Alien franchise, and one of the most well-known actresses not just in the action/sci-fi drama, but perhaps of all time. The Expendables, as you know, has a line-up young and not-so-young (to be polite), and Weaver would be a perfect choice for the latter.

Michelle Monaghan (Source Code): Monaghan doesn’t have quite the same action experience as some of the others, but Monaghan is a fantastic actress who I think would excel in a new role like this.