A while back, there were rumblings about a female-fronted spinoff of Sylvester Stallone’s The Expendables franchise, titled The Expendabelles. The decade-old concept eventually died on the vine, with little more than a loose plot about female operatives who had to pose as call girls to rescue a nuclear scientist from being held hostage. Yeah. That would not go over well with contemporary audiences. Anyway, Cannes is still poppin’ off in France, and as news continues to leak from the annual fest, we’re hearing that The Expendabelles is back on the table!
The titans of the Expendables franchise
The first Expendables movies featured Sylvester Stallone teaming up with action genre greats like Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture, Steve Austin, Terry Crews, Mickey Rourke, and more. Across the franchise’s four films (yes, Expend4bles was the fourth chapter’s actual title), other titans of the genre, Bruce Willis, Liam Hemsworth, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Harrison Ford, Wesley Snipes, Mel Gibson, Glen Powell, Antonio Banderas, Victor Ortiz, joined the party (pal). After the fourth movie failed to move the needle, audiences thought the franchise was dead. Think again.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Eclectic and HVG think they’ve found a way to make The Expendabelles work. Essentially, producers are in talks with distribution partners, financiers, and creative talent to revive the concept and bring it to screens.
What would Expendabelles be about?
THR says Expendabelles will serve as an origin story set in the late 1990s during the height of Y2K-era tension and geopolitical uncertainty. The old (and ridiculous) idea of having the team pose as call girls is out, and a plan to introduce a new generation of elite female operatives in “a stylized, action-driven cinematic event designed to expand the mythology of the franchise while standing firmly on its own,” is in.
The spinoff’s appeal
“We are thrilled to finally bring Expendabelles to life alongside our incredible partners at Hollywood Ventures Group, who share our passion for reimagining this property on a much larger cinematic scale,” Eclectic’s Heidi Jo Markel said in a statement. “There has always been a strong global appetite for female-driven action franchises, and we believe the time is now to introduce a bold new generation of elite operatives into this universe. What excites us most is the opportunity to elevate the material by pairing it with top-tier creative talent and delivering a fresh, stylish, adrenaline-fueled experience for worldwide audiences.”
The obvious question is: Who do you cast in The Expendabelles? Charlize Theron? Milla Jovovich? Kate Beckinsale? Michelle Yeoh? Simone Ashley? Gemma Chan? Danai Gurira? The list goes on! Let us know who your Expendabelles team would be in the comments!
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