Sylvester Stallone created the Expendables franchise in hopes of combining the greatest action heroes of their time with younger modern heroes. The first two Expendables films proved to be just that, with old and new blood battling a common enemy while providing audiences with unlimited entertainment. It was a fun concept that worked well for at least two films.
The third film occurred when the franchise began to fall out of favor as the magic of the franchise no longer attracted audiences. Then the franchise hit a new low with the release of Expend4bles. It was the worst-reviewed film in the franchise and has now lost a significant amount of money at the box office.
Expend4blesLoses Almost Half of its Production Budget at the Box Office
Expend4bles was released amidst very low expectations on 22 September 2023. The franchise had been running low since the very mixed reception of the third installment way back in 2014. The franchise needed a big boost. There was a flicker of hope that Sylvester Stallone and Jason Statham would bring some star power and much-needed energy back to the franchise. But it all went downhill as the film became the worst-reviewed film of the franchise. Additionally, the film managed to earn only $50.8 million against its $100 million budget (according to The Numbers).
This is a record low indicator for the franchise both from the point of view of reviews and from the point of view of box office collections. It is also especially disappointing that Stallone was not even present for most of the film.
The future of the franchise is undoubtedly in question. Since Stallone declared that the fourth part would be his last, the franchise lost its main attraction for viewers. It is still unknown whether Statham will lead the franchise in a potential fifth part, or if they will be able to bring Stallone back for another one.
Expend4bles Was About Passing the Torch From Old to New, According to the Director
Expend4bles saw Jason Statham taking center stage while Sylvester Stallone barely being in the film. The director of the film Scott Waugh talked about this transition and how the passing of the baton from Stallone to Statham is exciting. He told Moviefone,“I think the idea that Stallone’s passing this to Statham is exciting. Stallone still amazes me, his physical capability at his age. It’s still unbelievable to me. I’m 53 and busted up, and somehow he is in his late seventies and can still do it. But I think for Sly, he’s in a place in his life where time is super important to him.
Being on the full run of an ‘Expendables’ movie takes up a lot of his time and I fully respect that. Jason’s my age and really is still excited about continually working a lot. So it was a natural pass. Now, I’ll say, I definitely don’t think Sly is out of the brand. I think Sly will always be a part of it. He’s the starter of ‘The Expendables’ and the original director. So I think it’s new blood with the old.”
This transition was probably not the best decision, as the film suffered greatly both critically and financially. The film became a box office bomb, and the future of the franchise is dark. Perhaps they need to bring Stallone back to lead and set for him a magnificent final swan song in the franchise.