While we’ll likely have to wait a little longer to see The Expendables 4 finally get made, a spinoff is moving forward according to Sly Stallone.
Stallone took to Instagram to announce that he’ll be shooting in October the Lee Christmas spinoff, Christmas Story, focusing on Jason Statham’s character. The project has been in the works for ages, but looks like is actually happening now.
“Off to shoot the spinoff of Expendables (Temp. working title is Christmas Story) in Oct.”
Stallone is coming off a fun performance as King Shark in James Gunn’s DC Comics film The Suicide Squad, there had been rumors how Barney Ross would factor into the spinoff but hopefully things have changed. The actor has since retired iconic roles such as Rocky Balboa (won’t appear in Michael B. Jordan’s Creed III) and John Rambo, but seemingly will stick around to make Christmas Story and Expendables 4.
Jason Statham has been working a string of action flicks such as David Leitch’s Hobbs & Shaw, Guy Ritchie’s armored car thriller Wrath of Man, appeared in F9: The Fast Saga, and has wrapped on Ritchie’s spy flick formerly known as Five Eyes. There is also development on a sequel to Hobbs & Shaw, but remains to be seen when that will shoot.
We’ve seen three previous installments in The Expendables franchise, with the last installment pivoting from an R-rating to PG-13 in an attempt to boost box office only to become lowest earning film out of the three.
It’s unknown at this point if other familiar cast members will join the action pic.
THE EXPENDABLES – A group of mercenaries is double-crossed during a mission and are approached by Church to overthrow the ruthless dictator of a South American country. It isn’t long before the men realize things aren’t quite as they appear, finding themselves caught in a dangerous web of betrayal. Although their mission is compromised and an innocent is in danger, soldier of fortune Barney and his comrades decide to get the job done.
SOURCE: SLY STALLONE
THE RONIN 