Briefly: The focus as we’ve covered The Expendables 2 has been the list of actors returning from the first movie, and the other ’80s and ’90s action stars that might join in the sequel. All told, the list is pretty huge already: Sylvester Stallone will be joined by Jason Statham, Mickey Rourke, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Terry Crews, Randy Couture, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Chuck Norris, Bruce Willis, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. The assembled circumference of all those biceps would enclose a bus; collect the cast’s testosterone and you’d probably be able to fuel it for a cross-country run.
Now we’ve got a new, younger body to add: Liam Hemsworth, junior brother of Chris ‘Thor’ Hemsworth and one star of The Hunger Games, has signed on. We don’t know his role, but the thinking is pretty transparent: bring in female audiences under 24. The Expendables 2 shoots soon in Bulgaria under the direction of Simon West. Nicolas Cage and John Travolta remain possible participants as well, because the cast just wouldn’t be ridiculous enough without them. [Variety]
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In Gela Babluani‘s film 13 Tzameti, a young man lands in the weirdest game of Russian roulette ever held.
Babluani remade the French film for US audiences as 13, but rather than hitting theaters in regular fashion the film found a perch on a dusty shelf and sat there for quite some time. Anchor Bay is finally going to release it and a new trailer has just hit. While the movie has an eye-catching cast (Sam Riley, Ray Winstone, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, Alexander Skarsgård, Mickey Rourke, Jason Statham and Michael Shannon) this trailer makes it look like it could well be a massively silly action thriller. Check out the footage below. Read More »
The last time we had good word on The Expendables 2, Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger had been confirmed for meaty roles alongside returning star Sylvester Stallone and presumably returning actors Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren, Mickey Rourke, Terry Crews and Jet Li.
Donnie Yen, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Chuck Norris and John Travolta have all been rumored as well, with one report seeming to confirm the participation of classic ass-kickers Norris and Van Damme. (And Travola, too, though he’s less of an ass-kicker.) Now we’ve got word, straight from Stallone, that Norris, Van Damme are indeed in the film, and a Nicolas Cage and John Travolta will show up if things can be worked out. Read More »
Briefly: There has been a crazy amount of speculation about the cast of The Expendables 2, which will shoot soon. Given that the original film isn’t exactly beloved, that speculation goes to prove that the concept of putting aging action stars together into a ‘one last mission’-type picture is enough to ignite significant public interest.
We still don’t know what new talents might be joining the sequel, but Deadline reports that Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis have now closed deals to take substantial roles in the film. Both had parts in the original, but neither amounted to more than a cameo. Simon West will direct the sequel in October, and Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren, Mickey Rourke, Terry Crews and Jet Li are all likely to return alongside Sylvester Stallone. Moviehole reported over the weekend that Jean-Claude Van Damme, Chuck Norris, and Scott Adkins are all confirmed, based on a leaked cast list, but those names are not confirmed at this point. Donnie Yen, also rumored, is yet to be confirmed as well.
Here’s something that’ll get me into the theater for The Expendables 2 right quick, if it pans out: Donnie Yen, one of the current champion fighters on film, has been offered a role in The Expendables 2. That’s according to Twitch, which says that producer Avi Lerner offered Yen a “tailor-made” role in the film, which should shoot in October. Yen’s own people confirmed the offer, but didn’t give any indication of whether he’s likely to take it. Read More »
Here’s the third trailer for Tarsem‘s stylishly violent Immortals. (See the first and second ones if you haven’t already.)
I like this trailer a lot more than either of the previous ones; there’s a good voiceover that explains the background and early plot beats, and helps contextualize some of the pretty shots we’ve been seeing in previous trailers and clips. A few new shots offer additional eye-candy, too. While I remain unconvinced that this will really work as a piece of storytelling (it still looks a bit like a Dune/Clash of the Titans mashup) I can at least get a much better idea of what Tarsem is looking to accomplish. Check it out below. Read More »
A second trailer for Tarsem‘s Immortals — aka his Fight Club + Caravaggio + Clash of the Titans + 300 — has arrived. There isn’t a lot of new footage within, but there is a much greater focus on story this time out. If you watched the first trailer and wondered what the hell the movie is about, this one might help you understand. Read More »
Briefly: I know there are people who really like the films of Simon West (Con Air, Tomb Raider, The Mechanic) and I expect that audience will be thrilled that he is directing the sequel to The Expendables. Will he do a better job than Sylvester Stallone did with the original? Hard to say; two out of Sly’s last three films have been either genuinely good (Rocky Balboa) or a lot of fun (Rambo) so he’s probably got another good one in him. But The Expendables, a purely by the numbers exercise, sure wasn’t it.
So let Simon West have a crack at the sequel that will reunite Sly, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Mickey Rourke, Terry Crews and possibly Bruce Willis, with new participants very likely. (There will probably be a new female lead, playing the daughter of Mickey Rourke’s character.) David Agosto and Ken Kaufman are writing this one, and I’m hoping they’ve come up with material to really match the testosterone level of the cast. The Expendables 2 will release on August 17, 2012. [Deadline]
