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Re: The Expendables 2
The Expendables may have Nicholas Cage and John Travolta, because why not?
by Will Leitch / The Projector-Yahoo! Movies
It's sort of amazing to watch the trailer for "The Expendables" now. The trailer doesn't feature a single second of footage from the movie: It is, in raw form, simply a list of names. STALLONE. SCHWARZENEGGER. WILLIS. STATHAM. LI. ROURKE. LUNDGREN. AUSTIN. COUTURE. CREWS. That's the whole trailer! It was the film's sole selling point. It was an effective one.
Also of note in that trailer: It says that it has all those "action legends" together "for the first and only time." Well, here's the thing about successful franchises: They're not so good at the "only."
"The Expendables 2" has proven even more skilled at the Compiling Of Names game, adding bigger parts for Schwarzenegger and Willis and now adding fellow "action legends" Jean-Claude Van Damme and Chuck Norris. But the biggest names of all, if Stallone has his way, include Nicolas Cage and John Travolta. He's just trying to work the scheduling out; they do film in Bulgaria during the winter, after all.
We assume this script is just being written on the fly -- this time the film's being directed by Simon West of "Con Air" -- because Cage's and Travolta's parts are unclear and because Stallone is just diagramming up scenes to Entertainment Weekly. Here's how he describes his fight scene with Van Damme:
"We'll have a big showdown between me and Van Damme, which has been anticipated for a long time, so it should be a good one."
All right, that's not so much a description but a plot point. But it is good to know that Stallone and Van Damme will fight and not, in fact, debate whether or not Immanuel Kant's Faculty of Understanding allows for objective reasoning outside of one's perspective.
Re: The Expendables 2
Despite the fact that Stallone has talked to everyone in-and-out of town, rumors are that the full original cast will return, Schwarzenegger & Willis will have full roles in this one.
As far as the new guys are concerned, Jean-Claude Van Damme is confirmed, and is supposedly going to have a full role. There were other rumors that Charlie Sheen and/or Christopher Lambert were considered for a 'bad guy' full role. The Sheen rumors have died, with more favor going to Christopher Lambert.
Nick Cage & Travolta, as well as Chuck Norris are supposed to be cameos. Lorenzo Lamas is also supposed to have more substantial rumors in a supporting role.
A slew of others were rumored by after initial rumors, have dropped further off the radar. Guys like Carl Weathers are still being considered, but are probably long shots. The rest were just internet-geekdom, and were never really considered at all.
Stallone won't direct this time, but did write the plot. Dialogue and scripting will be handled by two others. "Con Air" & "The Mechanic 2011" director Simon West is confirmed to be the sequel director.
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My thoughts... on paper -- it sounds REALLY cool. Van Damme & Lambert as 'bad guys' is a bit of a change for them, as usually they are at least anti-heroes in their action films. Although the bad guy thing is not confirmed, simply rumored.
It'd be really cool if Chuck Norris had a bigger role in it, like Schwarzenegger & Willis, as Norris was as popular as any of those guys in the 80's, and frankly hasn't really been apart of a big action film since "Delta Force 2" over 20 years ago.
However... rarely are these film's sequels ever better than the original. And let's face it -- the original was brainless, 80's-style blood n' guts, no real story, popcorn action flick. The sequel doesn't have much work to do.
BUT me thinks Stallone might be getting a little crazy on the casting part. It seems to be so bloated (already) with 'names', from A-list to B-list to Z-list, that guys who had their name above the title of even DTV films in the 90's, will have bit roles.
So what's the point? Ya know?
I think more sense would be made to bring back Stallone, Statham and Li, and just recast the thing for a fresh story.
Re: The Expendables 2
These cast members run around and round. Now Stallone wants Michael Biehn & Michael Pare...
Sylvester Stallone talks about who's on board for 'Expendables 2' -- EXCLUSIVE
by Chris Nashawaty / Inside Movies-Entertainment Weekly
When The Expendables hit theaters last summer, it seemed like virtually every action star of a certain age dropped by to flex their biceps and kick some keister. But apparently writer-director-star Sylvester Stallone still thinks there’s room for more macho men in the upcoming sequel. In a recent interview with EW, Stallone said that not only would Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger have meatier parts the second go-round, but that he’s also added Chuck Norris and Jean-Claude Van Damme to the mix and, fingers crossed, we may even see Nicolas Cage and John Travolta getting in on the mayhem, too.
Prior to the first Expendables, we reported that Stallone had been rebuffed by Van Damme when he offered him a part in the all-star cast, which included Jason Statham, Mickey Rourke, Dolph Lundgren, and a who’s who of other hulking he-men. But now the Muscles From Brussels is saddling up. “We’ll have a big showdown between me and Van Damme, which has been anticipated for a long time, so it should be a good one,” says Stallone, who heads to Bulgaria at the end of this month to start shooting. The movie is aiming for an Aug. 2012 release.
This time out, Stallone is only working in front of the camera. Directing duties will be handled by Con Air‘s Simon West. Which, come to think of it, may have had something do with luring another new Expendable: Nic Cage. “We’ve got Chuck Norris and I think Nic Cage,” says Stallone. “We’re trying to work out different scenarios. I like using people that had a moment and then maybe have fallen on some hard times and give them another shot. So we’re always looking for actors like Michael Biehn and Michael Pare. I like those kinds of guys. Someone did it for me and I like to see if I can do it for them. We also need some new blood in there, a Navy Seal-type, because with the Expendables none of them have 20-20 vision anymore. They need some help, man.”
As for reports that Travolta may also join the expandable Expendables cast, Stallone says, “It’s possible. The one thing I’ve learned is what is a fact on Monday is a complete fallacy on Tuesday. A lot of it is scheduling. It’s not financial. It’s just that Bulgaria is definitely a jaunt. It’s a commitment, you know what I mean? Especially in the dead of winter.”
- metallex78
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Re: The Expendables 2
I absolutely loved the no-brainer action films I grew up with in the 80's. Sure they were dumb, but they had a real charm to them for their time.
It seems as though Stallone is trying to recapture those moments by adding all these big name action stars into these movies.
I gotta say though, the first Expendables film was flat out terrible. Maybe it was to do with Stallone being in the director's chair, but seeing as they have someone else directing, maybe it won't be so bad.
Re: The Expendables 2
Really? Maybe it was because I went into the first Expendables EXPECTING it to be horrendously bad. My first thought was Stallone, Lundgren, Jet Li & Eric Roberts (all past their prime) and I was never ever a fan of Jason Statham. Can't stand his movies.
BUT, I was shocked at how GOOD The Expendables was. Maybe it was because I went into it with an open mind. Was it First Blood, Predator, Die Hard, or The Delta Force? No, it wasn't that good.
But it was at least on the level of those films sequels. I enjoyed it.
I don't think any misses on the film's part was due to Stallone's directing. On "his level" Stallone has always been a good director. Rocky VI, Rambo II & IV, Cobra, The Expendables... that's not a bad resume as an action director.
Of course George P. Cosmatos was credited for Rambo II & Cobra, but Cosmatos is a "ghost" director. Unofficially they were Stallone's films. Same with Kurt Russell directing Tombstone.
Speaking of Russell.... HE is what this franchise is missing. Stallone approached him about a Tango & Cash re-team for the original Expendables, and Russell turned it down citing a lack of interest in "ensemble" acting. Apparently that hasn't changed, 'cause he's not even been rumored for EX2. It'd be cool to see Russell in one of these films.
Re: The Expendables 2
I also always enjoyed the brainless 80's & early 90's action films of 'my youth'.
My dream list for an Expendables film:
Sylvester Stallone
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Bruce Willis
Chuck Norris
Jean Claude Van Damme
Steven Seagal
Kurt Russell
Nick Nolte
Kiefer Sutherland
Charlie Sheen
Clint Eastwood
Sean Connery
Jan-Michael Vincent
Kris Kristofferson
Burt Reynolds
Mickey Rourke
Robert DeNiro
Mel Gibson
Danny Glover
Lou Gossett, Jr.
Jeff Fahey
Christopher Lambert
Mario Van Peebles
Sasha Mitchell
Nick Cassavetes
Michael Madsen
Michael Biehn
Robert Patrick
Dennis Haysbert
Tom Sizemore
Val Kilmer
There's more i'm sure i'm forgetting. Obviously you could never have a cast that big, but they all would be interesting options. Patrick Swayze would DEFINITELY be on the top of that list, had he not sadly passed on.
Re: The Expendables 2
I loved Rambo. His best work since First Blood.
Unfortunately the Expendables once more displayed his short comings as a director/writer. He should drop this and sell a Willis/Arnie idea to a big studio. Willis is always down for a fat check and Arnie's looking for something to do. Bring in the team from "Taken" and a good writer and you got yourself a blockbuster.
Re: The Expendables 2
http://www.wwtdd.com/2011/10/a-stuntman … ndables-2/
a stuntman died on Expendables 2
An unidentified stuntman was killed during a planned explosion while filming the now ironically themed ‘Expendables 2′ yesterday in Bulgaria. This awesome Bulgarian newspaper has the poorly translated details (note: if you read it like Borat, the story becomes less sad).
A foreigner who performed stunts during the filming of the sequel to hit Hollywood action “The Expendables” has died on set in Bulgaria. Two other stunt performers have been injured in a incident at a water reservoir at the town of Elin Pelin, outside of the Bulgarian capital Sofia, that took place Thursday night. The incident occurred while filming a stunt with a fake bomb explosion in a rubber boat in the water reservoir. bTV said the incident with the stunt performers has been confirmed by the authorities, with unofficial reports saying the movie for which the stunts were performed is “The Expendables 2″
If I were that guy I would still want them to use the footage. He gave his life for this stupid movie and now he’s not even gonna be in it. It reminds me of this show I saw during shark week that said sharks will sometimes bite someones arm off or something and then spit it out because they don’t like the way we taste. Really, asshole? That was my arm, I needed that, I don’t think it’s too much to ask that you actually eat it. Sharks can be real dicks.
Re: The Expendables 2
Sharks can be real dicks is what you got out of that? Wow man. 
Seriously tho, TV shows with heavy action sequences alone have sadly had this happened before. Stuntmen died performing on shows like "Airwolf" and "Walker Texas Ranger", and both shows went ahead and paid tribute by airing the sequence, then dedicating the episode to the stuntman's memory.
I notice movie's have a tendency to just bury the shot. I don't get that.
They need to just show it, and then tribute the film to the man's memory.
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