Despite being the major force behind ‘The Expendables‘, Stallone may well be going AWOL from the franchise before another film goes into production…
Industry site Deadline is reporting that Sylvester Stallone has decided to depart plans for the fourth Expendables film. Despite rumours of a massive pay-day for the writer/actor/producer, it appears that Stallone has withdrawn from the project of disagreements about who should direct the next chapter of the franchise and the direction of the script.
Though Stallone and Nu Image/Millennium chief Avi Lerner have not always seen eye to eye creatively they’ve had a profitable business relationship but it appears that they won’t be continuing with another Expendables together. This does not mean that another Expendables film won’t happen but there’s no denying that Stallone was a major force behind their creation and continued popularity. The actor has many projects on the go and after the success of projects like Rocky Balboa and Creed, he has no shortage of offers… so losing The Expendables from the slate will not be a disaster – indeed, it may force the franchise to look at new ways to subvert its formula rather than the old joke of action-heroes combining for an OTT adventure, a template that has worked for three movies but which might have been reaching its current limits.
