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Wait…what? Holy Shit! My eyes must be playing tricks on me as Lionsgate is finally going to unveil the long awaited trailer for EXPEND4BLES! That’s right, no need for pinching as we common folk are about to to see first look footage of the fourth entry that sees series icon Sylvester Stallone passing the torch to fellow merc Jason Statham. Check out the Locked ‘N’ Loaded new poster below and get ready to die when you’re dead as the trailer hits tomorrow! Boom Lay, Boom Lay…Boom!!! Baby!!! Can you tell I’m excited?
The fourth Expendables will add to the near $804M global grossing franchise. The new adventure sees the return of Sylvester Stallone plus 50 Cent and Megan Fox join the mercenary team which also includes Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren and. Randy Couture. Tony Jaa, Iko Iwais, Jacob Scipio, Levy Tran, and Andy Garcia also star. Armed with every weapon they can get their hands on and the skills to use them, The Expendables are the world’s last line of defense and the team that gets called when all other options are off the table. But new team members with new styles and tactics are going to give “new blood” a whole new meaning. Scott Waugh directs off Spenser Cohen and Max Adams’ script. Producers are Kevin King-Templeton, Les Weldon, and Yariv Lerner. Expendables 4 dates itself against an untitled Warner Bros DC movie on Sept. 22.
The new key art for Expend4bles does not let action fans down and it might be my favorite variation of the skull with weapons to date. The poster features a blistering neon lit skull with a massive mohawk made of blades and firepower! There is a fire burning inside the skull which is nothing short of kick ass and there are numerous guns and knives extending from every angle. The awesome 80’s retro sounding tagline “They’ll die when they’re dead” echoes in the center. You can just see that on a VHS copy from back in the day. The names of the main cast including Stallone, Statham, Jaa, Uwais, Fox, and more are featured! I want this on my Action-Flix office wall yesterday!
It goes without saying that one of the most anticipated action movies of 2023 has to be the return of Barney Ross and The Expendables. After the misfire with the third film, fans are hoping that they right the wrongs and deliver a heavy R rated actioner full of bullets, explosions and hand to hand supremacy.
Expendables 4 looks to start a new chapter in the franchise with Stallone stepping aside and giving the lead to Jason Statham. Although this one is light on action star talent, the ones that are in the film should satisfy the masses. It does for me.
It does bode well that veteran stunt professional and coordinator Scott Waugh is at the helm so hopefully the set pieces will be elevated. Waugh is best known for Act of Valor which was the military action film that featured real life active Navy SEALS. Waugh comes from the traditional action mode and has definitely proven that he can shoot action and especially cinema caliber firefights so I’m on board with his hiring.
Adding Asian powerhouses Tony Jaa and Iko Uwais certainly is a positive note and fans are hoping for some full throttle action sequences. The two action stars’ foray into Western action films have been hit or miss with more of the latter so fans are hoping that they are utilized to the best of their abilities.
Sylvester Stallone is back with Jason Statham, Randy Couture and, of course, Lundgren as the original cast. Sly has passed the torch to Statham and will only be in the film as more of an extended cameo from the looks of it. It’ll be interesting to see how they handle that aspect of the plot as details are still under lock and key. Other new additions include Megan Fox, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, and Andy Garcia.
The biggest subtraction for the franchise is the loss of Arnold Schwarzenegger as Trench. Arnie stated recently that he’ll no longer be involved with the franchise which bodes both positive and negative. Of course, we would like to see more of the icon but moving forward, it’s time to get some new action blood involved regardless of age. If they’re established in the genre, give ‘em a shot. With all the secrecy surrounding this one, who knows, maybe there will be some surprise cameos.
Lastly, let me just say that everyone has built this franchise up to be the Holy Grail of action from day one which unfortunately no movie could ever measure up too. Its just a fun bunch of adrenaline fueled films that deliver a wink and a nudge to the genre and where action stars get together and blow shit up. It’s one of my all time favorite action cinema franchises.
September 22nd, the boys are back in town!
Keep it locked and loaded right here for more on The Expendables and the new trailer tomorrow as we are your destination for everything action in 2023 and beyond!
