While it made $208 million at the box office when it was shown in 2014, the figure is considered paltry for a movie like “The Expendables 3” and it was the lowest among the three movies in the franchise.
The key reason being cited for the substantial drop in the box office take of “The Expendables 3” compared to its two predecessor films was the fact that a digital copy of the movie already leaked online even before it hit theaters worldwide.
If not for China, where the movie earned more than $100 million, “The Expendables 3” would have been a certified box-office dude.
The other major reason being pointed out is the PG 13 rating that the movie got instead of the R ratings that the two predecessor movies earned.
According to reports, some fans did not appreciate that they were not able to get the action, blood, and gore that they were expecting in “The Expendables” film when “The Expendables 3” got a washed down PG 13 rating, notes Crossmap.
These two key factors are now being addressed by the producers and the cast members on “The Expendables 4” which would start filming in China this coming fall.
Thus, aside from ensuring that there will be no pirated version of the movie making it online, “The Expendables 4” is almost certain to get an R rating when it comes out to theaters next year.
Too much promotion
Too much of everything is bad. That seems to have been the case for “The Expendables 3” when it was released back in 2014. The movie just had too much promotion that even before it hit theaters, a copy of the film already leaked online causing less-than-expected box-office results.
The producers and the stars of the action ensemble film franchise led by veteran action star Sylvester Stallone, appear to have learned their lesson from the 2014 debacle that promotions and details about “The Expendables 4” have become unusually scarce.
Even the details about the casting of the film remain as speculation to this day but most of the rumors are consistent in saying that it would feature three wrestlers for villains including Hulk Hogan, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, and the returning Stone Cold Steve Austin.
Then there are also reports saying that Pierce Brosnan, John Cusack, and Steven Seagal shall be joining the team of mercenaries led by Stallone’s Barney Ross and Jason Statham’s Lee Christmas, notes We Got This Covered.
The movie’s Chinese connection
Some of the things that seem to have been confirmed are its playdate of 2017 although no specific date has been mentioned thus far, and the filming location in China.
Apparently, a Chinese entity has bankrolled the production of the film to the tune of $100 million which is why the filming will be in China beginning this fall. Despite the debacle of “The Expendables 3” in 2014, the movie still made money in China, which is why the Chinese entity decided to invest in the film.
However, all these rumors and reports are speculations pending the confirmation from the producers or the actors themselves, none of whom have made a formal announcement of details about the film just yet.
Real-life martial arts expert and action star Steven Seagal has become the latest addition to the casting rumors for the upcoming action ensemble “The Expendables 4.”
Seagal becomes the latest in the casting rumor mill for the fourth installment of “The Expendables” featuring the top action stars of Hollywood then and now including Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jason Statham, and a whole lot more.
For a while, there were also rumors about the possible inclusion of Chinese martial arts superstar Jackie Chan and Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao. Eventually, those speculations proved to be inaccurate.