It can confidently be asserted that the Expendables era seems to be coming to a close following the disappointing reception of the latest installment in Sylvester Stallone’s franchise. The fourth movie has been lacking in various ways and has garnered significant criticism across the board. It appears that the poor performance of the latest film has also cast doubt on the planned female-led entry in the franchise, which had been in development for some time.
Plans for a female-led spin-off to the action-packed ensemble franchise began way back in 2012, marking a modern trend of such spin-offs within several popular franchises like Pirates of the Caribbean. The successful project Oceans 8, led by Sandra Bullock, further added to this trend. However, the fate of Expendables seems uncertain as recent reports surrounding the female-led spin-off are rather disappointing. So what exactly happened to this much-anticipated movie?
The Expendables franchise, created by Sylvester Stallone, was a tribute to the action movies of the 1980s and 1990s. It brought together veteran actors from the industry and became a major success. Despite some big names like Jackie Chan declining to appear alongside so many other stars, the first three films were hugely successful. Recently, it was announced that Megan Fox will be joining the cast for the upcoming fourth film in the series.
The film series by Stalloะฟe had plans to create a female-led spin-off, following in the footsteps of George Clooney’s Oceaะฟ’s franchise with Oceaะฟ’s 8. In 2012, reports named the potential title as The Expeะฟdabelles and actresses such as Cameroะฟ Diaz, Milla Jovovich, and Sigoฯ rะฟey Weaver were rumored to be attached to the project. However, it seems that the movie never progressed beyond the development stage, and there has been no news about it since. When asked about the status of the spin-off, the producer of Expeะฟd4bles, Les Weldoะฟ, did not provide an optimistic response, stating that scheduling for these kinds of movies is incredibly difficult and that even for them, it was easier back in 2008-2009 when they did the first one.
According to Weldoะฟ, initiating a large project with numerous individuals involved can be challenging. In particular, scheduling conflicts and commitment issues can present significant obstacles in such projects. However, the latest installment’s status suggests that creating a movie akin to Oceaะฟโs 8 or The Expeะฟdables franchise may not be feasible anytime soon. As for the box office performance of Expeะฟd4bles, there is no information provided.
The latest installment of the Expendables franchise has been met with disappointment due to its poor CGI, lackluster cast, and the absence of original characters from the first two films. Its domestic debut only brought in $8 million, making it the lowest opening in the series. Currently, the movie has a worldwide total of $33.9 million, coupled with negative reviews, suggesting it’s a major flop. Even with the inclusion of Megan Fox, the idea of a female-led spin-off is more intriguing than continuing the franchise. It seems unlikely that the Jason Statham-led franchise will make another attempt to revive itself, and there is no news of any future projects.
