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 is the fact that a digital copy of the movie has 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.
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.