The Expendables 2 hits cinemas this weekend – you can read our review right here – and before it’s even out the gate, there’s already talk of coming back for a third slice of action.
The first film was well known for bringing together some of the greatest action stars of all time, and this week’s sequel has built on that reputation even further, with its roster headed up by Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Chuck Norris, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, Liam Hemsworth, Dolph Lundgren, Terry Crews, Randy Couture, Scott Adkins, Charisma Carpenter, Nikolette Noel, and of course Mr. Jean-Claude Van Damme.
We talked to producer Avi Lerner at the premiere for The Expendables 2, and he said that he knows he’s going to get Clint Eastwood and Harrison Ford. Talking to Total Film as well, he says that Nicolas Cage is on board, with an eye on Wesley Snipes, and hoping for a return from Mickey Rourke, and was a little less definite on Eastwood and Ford’s involvement, but hopefully we’ll have more confirmation in the coming days.
“We’ve approached Clint Eastwood to be one of the guys, we’ve got a character in mind for him. We’re talking to Harrison Ford. [And we want] Wesley Snipes when he comes back from prison. I’ll give you one more name, we’ve got Nicolas Cage to play [one of the characters].”
“And we’re going to bring Mickey Rourke back, if he won’t be too crazy. I like Mickey. And of course, all the existing stars [will return].”
Though it’s still early days yet, The Expendables took an $80m. budget and turned it into an almost $200m. profit, and the sequel will undoubtedly be compounding on that in the coming weeks.
Simon West (Con Air) is behind the camera in Stallone’s place this time around, and it will be interesting to see if Stallone wants to get back in the director’s chair for this upcoming third film, or if West or a new director will take the helm.
You might recall that Cage was on the wish list for this year’s sequel before production started. Alas it wasn’t to be, but now it looks like he’s going to be joining the heroes after all, even if it’s two or so years down the line.
Bringing together Eastwood, Ford, and Snipes would make the third film’s cast even more of a dream-team for pretty much every fan of action films ever, and though it might ultimately turn out to be just that – a dream – the films have brought together an impeccable line-up so far, and there’s no reason to think that a third film wouldn’t out-do the originals and then some.
The Expendables 2 will be hitting cinemas in the UK this Thursday, 16th August, followed a day later in the US on Friday, 17th August. We’re looking forward to seeing the numbers at the box office in the coming weeks, which should hopefully lead to more news on a sequel.
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