Sylvester Stallone and Jackie Chan are set to co-lead Ex-Baghdad. In the world of action cinema, there are certain names that immediately evoke greatness in the mind of most, names such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, and Jason Statham. Two other names most definitely on that elite list of big-screen ass kickers are Stallone and Chan, who continue to wow moviegoers while being well into their senior years.
Despite their later career accolades, there are certain films that both will remain forever identified with, and stand as arguably their great achievements as actors. For Stallone, those are the Rocky and Rambo franchises, although the more recent Expendables series certainly has a ton of fans as well. He's also now a part of the MCU, being introduced as part of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Meanwhile, Chan is best known stateside for the Rush Hour and Shanghai Noon series. but was of course making thrilling action flicks in his native Hong Kong long before that.
Oddly enough though - especially since Stallone has crossed path with just about every notable action star through the Expendables movies - the two legends have never before shared the screen. Well, that's all about to change, as Deadline reports that Stallone and Chan are set to co-headline the upcoming action-thriller Ex-Baghdad, which will be produced by Chan's SR Media company. The film's budget will be $80 million, making it one of the most costly Chinese films to date. Stallone reportedly signed on to the project following his surprising decision to quit the Expendables franchise.
Ex-Baghdad's plot centers on a Chinese-run oil refinery located in Mosul, Iraq that gets attacked, presumably by terrorists. The owners of the refinery then call Chan's character - a private security contractor - to come in and rescue the trapped oil workers. However, much like Hans Gruber and company, these attackers are less interested in causing terror and more interested in stealing a fortune in oil. To stop this insidious plan, Chan teams up with a former American marine (Stallone), and sets out to stop the bad guys.
Ex-Baghdad will be directed by Scott Waugh, who previously helmed the war thriller Act of Valor, and car-based action flick Need for Speed. Waugh is also a veteran stunt man and stunt coordinator, counting among his credits in that arena films like Speed, XXX, and Bad Boys II. As of right now, no filming schedule or release timetable has been specified, but whenever Ex-Baghdad does finally arrive, one can rest assured that action fans the world over will be watching. After all, it's hard to think of a more badass combo than Stallone and Chan.
Source: Deadline