Last we heard, old man action franchise The Expendables** was being re-developed as a TV series. But it seems there's life in the movies yet, since studio Nu Image / Millennium have suddenly set up The Expendables 4. They've just announced that the film will shoot next year, for a release in 2017.
The film has been made possible by financing from China, where Expendables 3 took in almost half its total worldwide box office haul of $200m (a relatively meagre $40m came from the States but $80m was Chinese).
“What seems to work in their favour in China, is that these movies are good old-fashioned shoot ’em up entertainment,” says executive producer Steven Paul.
There's no mention yet of a director or casting, so the level of involvement of Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Wesley Snipes, Dolph Lundgren, Jet Li and the rest is unknown at the moment. Given some of Nu Image's output, you'd be forgiven for suspecting that we might be looking at a straight-to-DVD, less starry version - but Variety report that Expendables 4 is set to be the biggest yet, with a budget of $100m.
Stallone was supposed to be making Rambo: Last Blood imminently, but that now appears to be on hold. Because of this? No doubt all will become clear in the near future...