The followup to last year’s ’80s action mashup, The Expendables 2, is now officially slated for theatrical release almost two years exactly after its predecessor shot, cut, slashed, smashed, and whatever-other-past-tense-violent-verb-you-can-think-of its way into theaters.
Lionsgate has settled on August 17th, 2012 as the day of release for Expendables 2, just a week after another explosion-and-action friendly blockbuster sequel, GI Joe 2, arrives on the scene.
Sylvester Stallone will be back as intrepid Expendables leader Barney Ross in front of the camera, but looks to hand over the directorial reins to someone else on the sequel. Ross’ fellow mercenaries – including Lee Christmas (Jason Statham), Yin Yang (Jet Li), Toll Road (Randy Couture), and Hale Caesar (Terry Crews) – are all expected to return as well.
Former ’80s and ’90s action stars including Jean-Claude Van Damme aim to join the party in The Expendables 2, while both Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger could potentially expand on their all-too-brief cameos from the first film and become either supporting or main characters in the follow-up.
The news that Stallone will let someone else call the shots on this sequel should be more than welcome by those who recall the shoddy cinematography and uneven editing in the first Expendables. While the film still managed to be an overall entertaining ride for those in the mood for high-octane violence, most would agree there’s plenty of room for improvement.
So what other aging action stars could sign up for Expendables 2? Names like Steven Seagal and Chuck Norris have been bandied about a lot, although both turned down parts in the first; I suppose even someone like Keanu Reeves is of a fitting age to join the party (assuming everyone wants to invite him?). Maybe we’ll get a kick-ass actress onboard this time as well. I’ll go ahead and nominate Michelle Rodriguez, who proved herself more than worthy just recently in Battle: Los Angeles.
To reiterate – The Expendables 2 hits theaters on August 17th, 2012. Who do you want to see show up in the sequel?
Source: Lionsgate
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Liam Neeson, Clint Eastwood, Jackie Chan and Sean Connery
how abt they go after someone like Jack Nicholson [frank costello] or Daniel Day Lewis or de Niro/Pacino??
Sigourney Weaver.
Oh my god yes! Sigourney Weaver would be phenomenal! Also I want Charisma Carpenter to return.
JCVD!!
Wesley snipes, van dammn…..have Michelle rodrigreze as the villian.
Really? A WEEK after G.I. Joe? I’d rather 2013 to be honest. 2012 is going to be far too packed for a big budget R rated action film to make any kind of splash.
imo he should expend terry crews, the guy didn’t do anything besides blow people up in the lst 20 min of the movie. imo i hope they take on some asian mercenaries… tony jaa, jackie chan, the main actor from hard boiled, bolo yeung, and some others i cant think of atm.
imo they shouldnt get to many old guys, the should get some young talent as well such as: scott adkins, michael jai white, matt mulins, lateef crowder (just some of the guys i know that can do action/proper stunt work).
also the release date is to soon imo, it doesn’t give the editing clowns enough time to get proper special effects in (or it might just be that the guys sly choose suck at their job)
i just want to know who the new director is once i get that i know what direction the movie will be heading in and i can sleep at night.
jackie chan,clive owen, micheal jai white
Hulk Hogan, brother
chuck norris for a cameo Role:Texas Ranger.
Clint Eastwood!
I think the following actors should be consider for a role in the next movie. Micheal Jai White, Chuck Norris, Wesley Snipes, van Dammn, Michael Dudikoff, Matt Dillon, Scott Adkins, Michael Madsen and Carl Weathers.
Awesome!! I really like how much of an old school thrill ride the first one was. Hopefully the second one will be just as good, if not better!
I hear people complain about the violence, but hell, does anyone else think that it’s really the likes of Home Alone [1990] that is the most sadistic movie ever?
http://mamuvies.blogspot.com/2011/04/most-sadistic-family-film.html
Michael Worth, or the great Sho Kosugi would be really cool to see in the film.
that’s another thing, they should cut down on the damn CGI blood/core and just have practical effects (like rambo 4)
jwalka,
Preach it, brutha!
Vic
@ jwalka
I like your kind of thinkin for the sequel.
What happened to Dolf? He was fantastic in the first one.
The Expendables was one of the best films of 2010. It was f*****g epic.
The fights between Jet Li/Dolph Lundgren, Sylvester Stallone/Steve Austin, Randy Couture/Steve Austin as well as Jason Statham/Jet Li/Gary Daniels knocked everyone on their ass and were so amazing and action-packed, audiences all over the world were left breathless.
I hope in the sequel, there will be more amazing fight scenes. It would be good to include Wesley Snipes in the sequel to fight Jason Statham and they can finally give us the fight that they unfairly denied us in Chaos (2005).
Why not Tony Scott or Renny Harlin handling the directors helm?
And as for the cast, all of the ones who survived the first film should return. Plus Arnold should have and expanded role in the sequel.
for my pick of new cast members:
Donnie Yen
Michael Jai White
Tommy Lee Jones
Jean Claude Van Damme
Michael Biehn
Bill Goldberg
Danny Trejo
Kurt Russell
James Woods
Hulk Hogan
Cary Hiroyuki Tagawa
Brian Boswerth
Powers Booth
Antonio Banderas
Jackie Chan
Chow Yun Fat
Come on guys, the cast should be those who have had an action role or were sports entertainers or octagon fighters in the 80′s or 90′s.. Why do they keep adding those names like Vin Diesel or Tony Jaa?
I’ve got no problem with Dwayne Johnson he was synonymous in the 90′s and still is today as the peoples champ. And as for Statham he starred in Cory Yuen in the transporter which seemed to be a 90′s plot film of the lone hero so that’s that.
And for the sequel they should beef up the budget for this film, can’t blame sly for the first film, He did what he could. 65 mil for an action with the first expendables was a bad call for Nu Image..
Id like to see Michael Bien, Carl Weathers, Mr.T maybe. Kurt Russell, Hulk Hogan. As for a female to be possibly to be in the film, id like to say Michelle Rodrieguez as one of good guys/girls & hopfully she won’t be killed off. Another would be Sandra Bullock or Salma Haylek.
Jeff Speakman & Cynthia Rothrock.(sp)
“The news that Stallone will let someone else call the shots on this sequel should be more than welcome by those who recall the shoddy cinematography and uneven editing in the first Expendables. While the film still managed to be an overall entertaining ride for those in the mood for high-octane violence, most would agree there’s plenty of room for improvement.”
Sorry Sandy but you are dead wrong. Stallone’s style of directing is what made the movie a success, not to mention the story line. I for one find it much better than a lot of “acclaimed” directors who have been producing crap for most of their careers. Its a mistake in my opinion to turn the directing over to someone else, as was done with the Rambo series. The first movie was good and the follow up movies were pale comparisons to the original. Only when Stallone took over the reins again and came out with the last Rambo can I say that I liked the franchise again.
You mean Rocky, not Rambo. And Stallone didn’t direct the first one, John Avildsen did. Stallone directed the second, third, fourth and last (6th) Rocky.
Please add Donnie Yen and Steven Seagal. Let Donnie Yen fights Jet Li and Steven Seagal fight Jean Van Damn. Let Sly heads on with Bruce Willis or Arnold. And Jason fights Wesley Sniper. This would be a bad ass movie.
Michelle Yeoh!
is sho kosugi still alive? how about martin kove? michael dudikoff, david keith or keith david. bill dukes, some of these aren’t big draws, but they are familiar faces. i would like to see some of the recurring villians from old action movies. some people only played villains . like the big bad guy in bloodsport
If they let Chuck Norris act in this movie, I’m not going to watch, he should stick to doing Texas Ranger shows…in fact make a movie on that…
It’s better if they change the title to “Chuck Norris vs 100″ if chuck decides to join this project because Chuck doesn’t need sidekicks, so get stallone, statham, vandamme, etc. against norris he will just roundhouse kick them all.
Lots of good suggestions. Donnie Yen, Michelle Yeoh
I’d have to add:
Nic Cage
Kevin Costner (as a villain; the Eric Roberts type character)
I agree with aleric,the first and second rambo’s were great to the point that stallone was picked for the role on the first one. And on the second because he collaborated with james cameron for the screenplay and did the directing himself with george cosmatos taking directorial credit.
Look what happened with Rambo 3 when Stallone was only involved as actor and screenplay writer. The film was great for some action but was a drag the entire time for the story.
When he came back for writing and directing rambo 4, It made black hawk down and windtalkers like it was SWAT. The film epmhasized the realities of war.
As for Rocky, The first one to me was okay for one Sly’s writing was heartfelt, but when Stallone took over as director. It was made better for every sequel. Hey, I even Liked Rocky 5 which most critics like to bash.
For the Expendables Sly didn’t write it. only made the screenplay and directed it. David Callaham, wrote it, which to me the script was whack. But Sly tried his best to make crappy writing into a high octane ride of a film that true action fans would like.
I mean I had no problem with the shaky cam, It emphasized the feeling of explosions and punches associated with powerslams which to me were a great combination. The Plane firing a machinegun scene and the final battle scene was by far one of the greatest scenes I’ve seen.. And Sly knows to pick weapons well for the cast members.
Never seen Dolph Lundgren wield a M-79 grenade launcher like a shotgun before.. and Statham having a knife throwing contest with Mickey Rourke was cool..
If others liked THE LOSERS OR THE A-TEAM REMAKE and even RED which I really liked..
I’d trade it for a RAMBO or EXPENDABLES sequel anytime as long as sly is writing it and directing it…
Yes @donnie Sho Kosugi is still alive, he was the ninja leader in NINJA ASSASSIN and as for Dudikoff, he hasn’t done anything since 2002.
Keith David is attached to Todd Mcfarlane’s Spawn Animated series.
Bill Duke is now a director on low budget films…