Action movie legend Dolph Lundgren gives his view on what makes The Expendables franchise so successful. The Expendables was released back in 2010 and was co-written and directed by Rocky and Rambo star Sylvester Stallone, who also took the lead role in the film. The movie was made by Stallone as a nod to the popular and hugely successful action movies of the 1980s and 1990s that he made his name in. As such, the movie, and its sequels, boast a cast of well-known action stars, both past and present.
The movie was a financial success, grossing $274.5 million against a production budget of around $80 million. The success of The Expendables led to two theatrically released sequels, The Expendables 2 (2012), and The Expendables 3 (2014); both proved popular and performed well at the box office. With The Expendables 4 announced as going ahead, Lundgren, who portrayed Gunner Jensen in all three movies, has given his thoughts about the enduring popularity and success of the franchise.
In an interview with Looper, the 64-year-old Swede spoke about his career as well as the experience he's had making the Expendables movies. Lundgren was asked if he expected the first film to jumpstart such a big franchise. Read the ‘80s action icon’s comments below:
No, no, I didn't, certainly back in 2008, or '09 or something. You know, it was being directed by Sly and he's a very, very smart man. He created "Rocky," and "The Expendables" and I think the timing was good because he had old school fights, shootouts, and more of our visual effects. Kind of older guys who're washed up, that nobody wants, and they do these missions for the government, and if they get killed, nobody cares. I thought it was a good idea. So it's still being done. And in this one, new guys, new people, new people involved like Megan Fox. So there's kind of new blood, but the same basic concept, which I think we're hopeful is going to work.
Lundgren is certainly qualified to weigh in on what makes an action movie franchise successful. He began his film career in the 1980s with a brief appearance as a henchman in the James Bond movie A View to a Kill, before going on to appear as antagonist Ivan Drago in Rocky IV, both in 1985. Following these two roles, Lundgren starred as He-Man in the science-fiction fantasy film Masters of the Universe, before taking roles in Red Scorpion and The Punisher, going on to enjoy a prolific career throughout the '90s.
The Expendables marked Lundgren's return to big-budget Hollywood films after a series of direct-to-video releases. The success of the franchise has introduced the actor to a new audience. He makes some great points about why The Expendables works as well as it does. It's simultaneously a fresh take on the action genre and a throwback to the sorts of films that made Lundgren and Stallone stars. As Lundgren notes, it's smart to bring in new faces for the highly anticipated The Expendables 4. As it's been several years since the release of the most recent film in the franchise, hopefully, the new installment will draw both those who already love the movies and new audiences excited about the additions to the cast, such as Megan Fox and Tony Jaa. As of now, The Expendables franchise shows no signs of slowing down.
Source: Looper