There are very interesting casting rumors about the fourth installment of the action ensemble franchise “The Expendables” of late and many wrestling websites have been jumping on it.
Apparently, speculations have been going around that in addition to Hulk Hogan and Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson playing as big bad in “The Expendables 4,” Stone Cold Steve Austin shall reportedly be joining the film also as part of the villain ensemble.
It can be recalled that Steve Austin was the main henchman of Eric Roberts and they formed the main villains for the first “The Expendables” film shown in 2010.
However, those who have seen the first movie actually saw that Stone Cold Steve Austin was left in the dungeon after being defeated by the combined team of Stallone and Jason Statham as the place exploded. Cinematically, Stone Cold was already dead in the first “The Expendables” film.
So it is not clear how the producers will intend to bring him back from his seeming death in the first “The Expendables” movie.
On the upside, however, having three very popular wrestling superstars on the next “The Expendables” film will certainly raise the film’s potential blockbuster performance. It could perhaps go beyond the rather sub-par blockbuster showing of “The Expendables 3” released in 2014, notes Wrestling Inc.
James Bond actor joining too
In addition to the three wrestling superstars, the Lawyer Herald also hinted that former James Bond actor Pierce Brosnan shall also be joining the band of good guys led by Stallone and Jason Statham.
As an Irish actor, Brosnan will be joining British action star Statham in the franchise, giving the UK two representations in the action ensemble film.
Despite the third installment not making huge money on the box-office when it was released last year, it is all systems go for “The Expendables 4.”
The even better news is that the upcoming fourth installment of the action ensemble franchise is expected to be the biggest one yet because it is to be bankrolled by a Chinese interest for a $100 million budget.
The fourth film of the franchise will be made possible through a financing from China. “The Expendables 3” ‘only’ earned $206 million when it was shown in 2014 but more than half of it came from the China market. It was a letdown compared to its predecessor movies but it still made money.
According to executive producer Steven Paul, “The Expendables 3” was patronized in China because just like its first two predecessor movies, they are good old-fashioned shoot ‘em up entertainment.
The Chinese investment on the upcoming movie is also the reason why filming of “The Expendables 4” will mostly be set in China.
A box-office under-performer
The producers and stars of “The Expendables 3” know for a fact that the third movie did not do well in the box-office as projected because the entire movie was leaked online before it was even released on theaters.
So people who have seen the digital version of the movie online would no longer bother spending money on buying tickets just to see Sylvester Stallone and company on the big screen.
Another reason why some experts believe that the movie was a bit of a box-office disappointment is because of the producers’ decision to opt for a PG-13 rating to get a wider audience.
It can be recalled that “The Expendables” and “The Expendables 2” have been rated R and it is the reason why many people were attracted to watching it in the big screens. With the decision of the producers of the third film to deviate from the norm, it has led to some audiences losing interest on the movie.
While the movie already has a confirmed budget and a release year, it still has no director at this point in time.