Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger's 2013 prison break movie, Escape Plan, saw the two action hero juggernauts team up to break out of an apparently inescapable prison complex in an exciting romp of a thriller. Having proved that past their prime action stars can still deliver with the The Expendables franchise, Stallone's Escape Plan didn't take off in quite the same way - but while the movie somewhat disappointed at the domestic box office, it managed to turn a decent profit thanks to a strong international showing.
Critical reception to the movie was also lukewarm but this hasn't prevented the production of Escape Plan 2. The sequel sees Steven C. Miller replace Mikael Håfström in the director's chair and cast additions include former wrestler and current Guardian of the Galaxy, Dave Bautista, actress and model Jaime King and Curtis Jackson - better known as 50 Cent - with the latter reprising his role from the first Escape Plan.
According to Deadline, another name can now be added to the sequel's growing ensemble in the form of The Hunger Games actor, Wes Chatham. Chatham's career has consisted of a mixture of both film and television roles, appearing in series such as The Expanse and The Unit as well as big-screen outings including The Help and The Philly Kid.
Although undoubtedly a versatile actor, Chatham has certainly proved himself very capable of pulling off the intimidating tough guy schtick. His role as Amos in The Expanse - recently renewed for a third season - has demonstrated the actor's credentials at playing 'the muscle' and his interpretation of the character often bordered on psychotic. This will likely stand Chatham in good stead for his role in Escape Plan 2. Although details of his character are unconfirmed, the movie's premise involves an abundance of burly prison types for which Chatham seems ideal.
Given the original Escape Plan's unenthusiastic reception in the United States, many will surely be wondering whether a sequel is strictly necessary. Even those who enjoyed the film may argue that it isn't exactly franchise-bearing material and with Schwarzenegger seemingly not reprising his role as Emil Rottmayer, the sequel will be deprived of some of the original movie's A-list power.
Despite this, there is cause to believe Escape Plan 2 has the potential to outdo its predecessor. Although Stallone won't have Schwarzenegger by his side this time around, he has been replaced by actors who are perhaps more popular with a modern audience and have a wider variety of roles on their resumes. Furthermore, Steven C. Miller is an solid director with a growing reputation in the action movie world and has recently worked with other Expendable Bruce Willis on Marauders, arguably making him ideal for Escape Plan 2.
Escape Plan 2 is currently expected to hit theaters in 2018.
Source: Deadline