Thanks to a spectacular performance in the action-loving foreign markets, The Expendables 3 was a summer blockbuster. Obviously, the decision-makers and money-spenders at Lionsgate and Millennium Films would have us believe that the only reason the third installment of the 80s action throwback performed so poorly in the U.S. was because millions of people reportedly downloaded the film illegally in the weeks before it was released. To them, it had nothing to with the same story being told a third time, as much as it was all about pirates, yarrrrrr. But to Stallone, the reason might be the PG-13 rating that sort of handcuffed just how violent the Expendables could be.
That’s why the wheels are still in motion, at least in Stallone’s mind, for The Expendables 4, which could, if the rumors are true, feature a prominent role for Jackie Chan and the return of Jean Claude Van Damme as the twin brother of The Expendables 2’s Claude Vilain. In fact, Stallone isn’t worried about the poor performance of The Expendables 3 at all, because he insisted in an interview with Crave that the fourth film should and will be Rated R.
Is it important that the Expendables persevere, and whoever is your favorite Expendable, you can feel safe they’ll be back?
This is a big conflict for me 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…
Do you think future Expendables movies should be R-rated from the get go?
Absolutely unequivocally yes. I believe it was a horrible miscalculation on everyone’s part in trying to reach a wider audience, but in doing such, diminish the violence that the audience expects. I’m quite certain it won’t happen again. (Via Crave)
Look, I’ve always been crystal clear in my love for these movies, and despite my feud with Frank Stallone and Frankster’s Gangsters, I’m eternally Team Stallone. But we need to get crazy as hell for The Expendables 4, because 3xpendables was pretty dull (although I still blame that on the presence of Kellan Lutz). I’m dead serious when I say this – The Expendables 4: Expendables In Space (poster tagline: “In Space, No One Can Hear You *Explosion Noise*”). Fortunately, it seems like Sly and I are on the same page.
Patrick Hughes told us he thinks in the next sequel the Expendables should travel through time to WWII. Would you ever let the Expendables get that crazy?
I have actually entertained the idea of putting the group into such an unnatural environment that it, in and of itself, creates extra suspense and tension: the “fish out of water” scenario. That environment might not be time travel, but nearly just as jarring.
It’s either blowing up the moon or moving into a retirement home for these guys.