Expendables 3

[GeneChing]

Chuck is out.

Will Chuck Norris Return For "The Expendables 3"? (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_fxSTLNnlA)

For reference:
Expendables (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=52438)
Expendables 2 (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=58108)

[Lucas]

someone told me they read something about that they may include some female action stars for the next one...dunno if its true or not.

http://www.themarysue.com/female-expendables-film/

[doug maverick]

someone told me they read something about that they may include some female action stars for the next one...dunno if its true or not.

http://www.themarysue.com/female-expendables-film/

no they just are going to make a female version but im not liking any of the names being thrown out.

[GeneChing]

He's just talking. But it could happen. He's worked with Sly before in that horrid flick, An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn and Jackie was the Asian partner for Planet Hollywood (the now closed Singapore PH was all about Jackie). They are reputed to be friends

Джеки Чан о "Неудержимых" | Jackie Chan on "Expendables" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NWQ6peHA_U)

[GeneChing]

Clint Eastwood has Expendables 3 in sight (http://www.channel24.co.za/Movies/News/Clint-Eastwood-has-Expendables-3-in-sight-20120919)
2012-09-19 22:14

The 82-year-old actor has distanced himself from the possibility of starring in the forthcoming action film, but admitted he would love to helm the movie.

When asked if he was considering a role in the motion picture, he replied to ExtraTV: "Probably not. I'm probably more apt to direct something. Maybe I'll direct Expendables 3.

"I haven't had the opportunity to see [The Expendables] yet. I haven't read any material."

Steven Seagal

The Expendables 3 producer Avi Lerner recently revealed the Hollywood legend and Harrison Ford have both been approached about appearing in the franchise - which stars Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham and Arnold Schwarzenegger - but he was unsure whether Steven Seagal would be in the film.

He told BANG Showbiz: "I have started to speak to Clint Eastwood and Harrison Ford. I'm not sure about Steven Seagal, we'll see."

But Avi has confirmed Nicolas Cage will appear in the third instalment of the action movie franchise, and Mickey Rourke will reprise his role of mission coordinator Tool.

He explained: "We've got Nicolas Cage to play [one of the characters]. And we're going to bring Mickey Rourke back, if he won't be too crazy. I like Mickey. And of course, all the existing stars [will return]." All the existing stars? Jet too? He had such a minor part in E2 and seemed to say 'zaijian' during it.

[sanjuro_ronin]

Cage? really ??

[Frost]

Cage? really ??

he was meant to be in the second one but that never happened so take it with a pinch of salt

[GeneChing]

"Expendables 3" to include Jackie Chan (http://sg.entertainment.yahoo.com/news/expendables-3-jackie-chan-072400081.html)
Cinema OnlineCinema Online – Mon, Dec 17, 2012 3:24 PM SGT

17 Dec – Jackie Chan has confirmed his involvement with Sylvester Stallone's "Expendables 3" as the script is currently in works to include the international action star recently at a press conference for "CZ12" in Kuala Lumpur.

"Sly had invited me to be in "Expendables 2" but I was too busy filming "CZ12" and couldn't make a commitment to the film. But he did extend his invitation to the third movie, which I agreed on the condition that I will be appearing as more than just a minor role with a few scenes," said Chan.

Chan added that he had revealed to Stallone that he hoped the third installment of the franchise would run along the lines of a 'buddy-buddy' movie should Chan be starring in it, which the "Rambo" star obliged. Currently, the script is in the midst of being worked on to meet the criteria.

Besides "Expendables 3", Chan will be buried with work in the coming year as he is also preparing for his next Hollywood fair reminiscent of the "Rush Hour" franchise, where he will pair up with a counterpart from the West. The working title for the movie is "Skip Tracer".

"The script is currently viewed by Chris Tucker. Personally, I feel that if he were to pick it up, it would be better if we turned it into "Rush Hour 4" but I do think that three movies for the franchise is a perfect ending. It would be better to start a new buddy movie with someone new," declared Chan.

Other upcoming movies up his plate include "Police Story 2013" as well as a musical tentatively named "I am Jackie Chan" being in the works which Chan has confirmed he will not be starring as himself but is currently on the lookout for child actors to play the part of his younger self.

With a busy year ahead, Chan's announcement of "CZ12" being his last action movie seem to be obsolete. The action star went on to explain that he had considered retirement upon the finish of the movie but changed his mind as he realised that it was impossible for him to retire from movies.

"What am I supposed to do if I stop making movies? Which is why, I will make an amendment to my announcement. "CZ12" will be my last big action movie. I won't be able to complete every stunt myself now and will probably relax a bit in that area by using CG effects in the future. But I will never quit movies."
I suppose we need a thread for Skip Tracer, but we'll wait for an independent story.

[GeneChing]

Now if Woo and Jackie came on board, I'd reinvest in this franchise. Ultimately I wasn't that impressed with Ex2, mostly because of body count issues (both cinematic tallies and actual stuntman casualties).

John Woo open to direct Expendables 3 (http://www.denofgeek.com/movies/23952/john-woo-open-to-direct-expendables-3)
News Glen Chapman Jan 3, 2013

In a recent interview John Woo has been talking about his fondness of The Expendables and his interest in directing the third instalment.

Shortly after The Expendables 2 was released, we had the rumours of potential new stars for the second sequel, which saw the likes of Harrison Ford, Clint Eastwood and Wesley Snipes linked, with Nic Cage reportedly already signed up. Now attention seems to have turned to who the director could be after Simon West, director of the glorious Con Air, took over directing duties from Sylvester Stallone for the sequel.

In a recent interview, John Woo had the following to say about The Expendables and the likelihood of his directing a film in the franchise:

“It was very big in China and all over the news. It was a great movie. I saw it with my family. We all love the action. Van Damme made a believable villain.”

He continued by commenting about fans lobbying for him to direct The Expendables 3: “[laughs] I read that. I am a big fan of all of those guys and will do it but I want less studio and producer interference. I want to shoot the movie the way I want. That's the difference in making a movie in China and Hollywood. In China, the studio and the producer allow flexibility to the director. One thing for sure is, I want it to take place in China. I also have a vision of this big fight between Jet Li and Van Damme but then they have killed him off.”

We'll offer a sensible solution to the death of Van Damme for you, Mr. Woo: have Van Damme return to play the twin brother of Jean Vilain and name him Claude Vilain and pass it off as a nice reference to Double Impact...

More news on the next Expendables as we get it.

[GeneChing]

Got that, s_r? Cage. Nick Cage. :rolleyes:

Wesley Snipes and Jackie Chan are in Negotiations for “The Expendables 3″ (http://nukethefridge.com/2013/01/24/wesley-snipes-and-jackie-chan-are-in-negotiations-for-the-expendables-3/)
By Namtar. On 24 Jan, 2013 At 01:12 AM

With “The Expendables 2″ grossing over $300 million worldwide, plans are in the works for a third installment. With action star Sylvester Stallone orchestrating behind the scenes, he’ll keep making these films as long as audiences want to see them. ”The Expendables 3″ is slated to begin principal photography in September of this year with a 2014 debut to follow. “Expendable” alum Dolph Lundgren has confirmed that actors Nicolas Cage, Jackie Chan, and Wesley Snipes are on the “wanted” list to appear in the third film.

In a recent on-line interview this is what Lundgren had to say concerning the shooting schedule.

“No, I don’t think it will be until this fall. That is what I have heard. I am doing this other thing. I have this TV series, it’s called Rescue 3. It’s an action series. We are rescuing people…Or killing them, which is the case here today…I play the leader of this unit in California that saves people. We use choppers, and life guards. The coast guard…I have to do that first. That takes six or seven months out of this year. I will be done in September. From what I understand, they won’t even have The Expendables 3 ready until the fall. To go. It may work out that I can do both this year.”

Is the script ready?

“It isn’t. I haven’t seen it. I know they are working on it, but I haven’t seen anything. I’ll find out what it is in a couple of months.”

Lundgren also discussed collaborating on the screenplay with Sylvester Stallone, noting that the story is usually the least of his concerns.

“I let him go at it first. He kind of knows me creatively, and personally, because we’ve worked together quite a bit. So I will usually read the script, and then I will add a few comments about this or that. He knows all of the actors that are in the piece, and there are so many characters involved. They all want to be involved, and everyone wants to have a little something special to do. So, he tries to satisfy that. He’s done a great job so far. And I trust him. I usually add a few comments, and he is open to that. Yeah, if everything works out…All these other variables…Then I am not that worried about the script, really.”

Finally, he commented about the recent casting rumors.

“I don’t know anything for sure. I know…I have heard that they do want Wesley Snipes. They want Jackie Chan, Nicolas Cage, I have heard too. But we don’t know want is going on just yet. All of those are pretty great names. They are good actors, and I think the fans would love to see them in there, with the rest of us, for sure. Yeah.”

Who do you think should star in the third “Expendables” film?

“The Expendables 3″ is in development and is slated to start filming this September and is expected to open in theaters sometime in 2014. The film stars Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren, and Nicolas Cage. Avi Lerner will produce. No director has been assigned to the project at this time.

[GeneChing]

Strangely creepy coming from Sly after the Jet/Nan Yu swap in E2 (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?p=1185644#post1185644).


Sly Stallone Tweets 'Expendables 3' Updates, Jackie Chan Still A Possibility (http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2013/03/13/sly-stallone-expendables-3-update/)
Posted 2 hours ago by Kevin P. Sullivan in News

After "Expendables 2" expanded the cast of action legends and went on to make $300 million globally, the fanboys of the 80s throwback series wanted to know who would be added next. There were rumors of Nicolas Cage and Jackie Chan and Bill Clinton(?), but no definite words.

Now the mastermind of the series and the leader of the Expendables, Sylvester Stallone, has taken to Twitter to give his fans an update about where things stand.

"Writing EX3 at the moment," Stallone said. "There are going to be mountains of surprises."

Read more about "The Expendables 3" after the jump!

Among the non-casting changes Stallone wants to put in place for the threequel is the addition of more jokes. (As if "I now pronounce you man and knife" wasn't funny enough.)

"EX3 needs NEW blood and more humor.... The films were always meant to be more on the humorous side with moments of drama," Stallone said.

The action legend did have some casting news, but it's bad news for anyone hoping for a Steven Seagal appearance. Jackie Chan, however, may still be in the cards. "No S. Seagal, sorry ,but maybe we get lucky with J. Chan!"

Aside from the expected old-timers, Stallone wants to include a younger generation this time around. "And some young bloods!!! By young I mean 22 to 27. Not big bruisers but tech wizard, super brains and a young woman who is not a sex symbol but funny ,tough,REAL," he wrote.

[GeneChing]

Milla? Now we're talkin...;)

Jackie Chan confirms role in "Expendables 3" (http://sg.entertainment.yahoo.com/news/jackie-chan-confirms-role-expendables-3-052800670.html?.tsrc=yfpnewsapp)
From Cinema Online Exclusively for Yahoo! NewsroomBy Desmond Yap – Thu, Jun 6, 2013 1:28 PM SGT

6 Jun - Fans of Jackie Chan can expect to see their idol on the big screen again as the superstar has just confirmed that he will be starring in "The Expendables 3", joining the original cast of Sylvester Stallone and Jason Statham.

It was also revealed that "Ghost Rider" actor Nicholas Cage, Wesley Snipes and "Resident Evil" actress Mila Jovovich will also join the third instalment of the film.

The film's lead star, Sylvester Stallone, will be taking on additional duties as the film's screenwriter and producer.

"The Expendables 3" is set to be released in August 2014, with filming set to begin in September 2013.

[GeneChing]

Jul 4, 2013
Gibson in the Bulgarian News Again, Seagal Confirmed (http://www.exflix.blogspot.com/2013/07/gibson-in-bulgarian-news-again-seagal.html)
Today many Bulgarian news sites have reported again that Gibson has negotiated (or is) with Stallone to play the #1 villain role in EX3. In addition to reporting Gibson, there are now new elements in the Bulgarian reports confirming that Seagal will fight Gibson alongside Stallone, Statham & Lundgren, and that the script has been rewritten many times to create enough room for so many stars specially after Schwarzenegger has joined the cast, and to include Chan, Cage, Snipes, Jovovich & Rourke.
Well the Bulgarian media has been correct at times but not always. Hopefully they have a solid source of information this time. Gibson, Seagal, Chan, Snipes, Cage in addition to the returning EX cast, never thought they would top EX2...
I must confess, this cast is getting downright hysterical. :)

[GeneChing]

Like I said above....hysterical! :D

Ronda Rousey lands role in Stallone's 'Expendables 3' (http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ufc/2013/07/23/ufc-ronda-rousey-the-expendables-3-sylvester-stallone/2581819/)
12:39 p.m. EDT July 24, 2013

http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/ac1394dbdcca6a36cbf486633b129cd813095ac3/r=x404&c=534x401/local/-/media/USATODAY/test/2013/07/23/1374637222000-USP-UFC-157-Open-Workouts-1307232342_4_3.jpg
(Photo: Jayne Kamin-Oncea, USA TODAY Sports)

Ronda Rousey signed with the William Morris Endeavor talent agency earlier this year, and now she has her first major movie role.

The UFC's women's bantamweight champion has landed a role in the upcoming Expendables 3 action flick. Screenplay writer and star Sylvester Stallone announced the news late Tuesday on his official Twitter account.

Rousey is coming off yet another first-round armbar victory. She stopped Liz Carmouche in February in the main event of UFC 157, the first women's fight in UFC history. She currently is taping Season 18 of The Ultimate Fighter, which she'll coach opposite her fiercest rival, Miesha Tate. The two then will meet in a rematch for Rousey's title at UFC 168 in December in Las Vegas.

It is unknown when Rousey's work on Expendables 3 will begin or how extensive a role she will have in the film, which also stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, Jason Statham, Jackie Chan, Dolph Lundgren, Steven Seagal and former UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture – essentially a who's who of Hollywood action stars.

The film currently is in pre-production and, according to the Internet Movie Database, has an expected release date of Aug. 15, 2014.

Rousey will not be the first UFC fighter to venture into movies, of course. Perhaps most famously – or infamously – UFC light heavyweight Quinton Jackson got a major role as B.A. Barracus in The A-Team. And because of his commitments to the film, "Rampage" had to delay a planned main event at UFC 107 in his home city of Memphis.

That left UFC President Dana White perturbed, and since then he frequently has questioned whether it's wise for his fighters to pass up the money they make fighting for the money they make in the movies – which he argues doesn't compare to their regular jobs.

Earlier this year, not long after she beat Carmouche, Rousey was rumored to be up for a spot in The Hunger Games sequel due out later this year starring Best Actress Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence.

"You know how I feel about the movie stuff," White told FUEL TV's UFC Tonight earlier this year. "The hard part is, even like the 'Rampage' thing – when 'Rampage' did the movie, it was Rampage's dream to be a part of The A-Team and everything else. I don't want to take away any opportunities away from Ronda, but at the same time, the thing that you have to keep in perspective is that her window of opportunity as a professional athlete is (small). She could make a zillion movies when this sport's over. And where she's really going to make the money is here fighting. I don't care if she's the lead role in 'The Hunger Games 2,' she would not make anywhere near, and I mean not even in the universe, to the money she makes fighting."

Rousey has been arguably the most marketable fighter in the UFC since her arrival from Strikeforce. She's been on the cover of ESPN Magazine's "Body Issue," UFC 360 magazine's cover, co-hosted "TMZ," been written up in Rolling Stone and Sports Illustrated, been on with Conan O'Brien and had her own behind-the-scenes special on Showtime.

A movie role would just add to her constantly expanding resume. The first Expendables movie made more than $100 million at the box office when it was released in August 2010. In August 2012, The Expendables 2 fell a little short of the original's mark, making just north of $85 million around the world.

[GeneChing]

What about Jackie?


Antonio Banderas, Mel Gibson Joining 'Expendables 3' (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/antonio-banderas-mel-gibson-joining-604253)
10:47 AM PDT 8/12/2013 by Rebecca Ford, Tatiana Siegel

The actors will co-star with Sylvester Stallone and Harrison Ford in the film.

Earlier this year, Stallone tweeted hints about the castings, writing: "Mad Max vs Barney Ross......" and "Antonio B. ...? Could be."

Stallone also recently tweeted that Harrison Ford would appear in the third film, while Bruce Willis would not.

Moments after tweeting that Willis would not returning, Stallone added: "GREEDY AND LAZY . . . A SURE FORMULA FOR CAREER FAILURE."

A source with knowledge of the situation told THR that the fallout was over a specific money demand. Willis was offered $3 million for four days of consecutive work on location in Bulgaria for the film. "He said he'd drop out unless he got $4 million," this source close to the production says. "A million dollars a day. Stallone and everybody else involved said no."

Lionsgate has slated the Nu Image/Millennium Films action-adventure franchise film to open Aug. 15, 2014. Stallone returns as Barney Ross, who leads the group of mercenaries as it undertakes seemingly impossible missions. Jackie Chan and Nicolas Cage are also set to appear in the film.

Patrick Hughes is directing from a screenplay by Stallone and Richard Wenk.
The Expendables 2, starring Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Chuck Norris, Terry Crews and Willis, opened in the U.S. on Aug. 16, 2012, easily topping the box office that weekend with $28.6 million. The Lionsgate and Millennium Films project has earned $300.4 million worldwide.

Banderas will appear in upcoming films Machete Kills and Knight of Cups. He's repped by CAA and Media Art Management.

Gibson will also appear in Machete Kills and upcoming actioner Mad Max: Fury Road. He's repped by Shanahan Management.


Expendables 3 Producer Lists The Cast – And It’s Not What I Was Expecting (http://www.bleedingcool.com/2013/08/12/expendables-3-producer-lists-the-cast-and-its-not-what-i-was-expecting/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter)
Posted on August 12, 2013 by Brendon Connelly

With the third Expendables movie set to get rolling in just a week’s time, producer Boaz Davidson has made a pretty comprehensive cast list update on his Facebook page:That

Stallone,Statham,Ford,Gibson,
Lundgren,Snipes,Li,Couture,
Banderas,Rousey,Crews,
Schwarzenegger,Ortiz,Lutz.

Or, to give them all their first names as well as surnames:

Sylvester Stallone
Jason Statham
Harrison Ford
Mel Gibson
Dolph Lundgren
Wesley Snipes
Jet Li
Randy Couture
Antonio Banderas
Ronda Rousey
Terry Crews
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Victor Ortiz
Kellan Lutz

Those are all guys, bar UFC champ Ronda Rousey, which seems to kill the rumours about more women joining the pack this time.

And there’s no reference to Milla Jovovich either – or Jackie Chan and Nicolas Cage, who were apparently all negotiating their roles at the same time.

I’m sure Davidson listed every name he could depend, so it seems that a lot of people came into the orbit of this production but never touched down. I guess there could be a whole slew of eleventh hour negotiations ongoing, but that is a pretty long list of actors already.

So, with Stallone and co. apparently not going for neither more female characters or the oft-discussed introduction of much younger players, Expendables 3 is sounding a lot more like parts 1 and 2 than I had hoped. Patrick Hughes is directing, though, and his debut feature Red Hill is an absolute cracker, so I’m certainly staying optimistic.

[GeneChing]

Maybe he'll get to fight Ronda.


Schwarzenegger, Stallone and Jet Li head to Bulgaria to film Expendables 3 (http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2013-08-20/schwarzenegger-stallone-and-jet-li-head-to-bulgaria-to-film-expendables-3)
Shooting for the third installment of the action flick about an elite group of mercenaries is well underway in southeast Europe

Written By
Radio Times Staff
11:45 AM, 20 August 2013

A Hollywood A-list cast, including former US governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone (Rocky), Jason Statham (Snatch) and Jet Li (The One), is currently in Bulgaria shooting the multi-million pound sequel The Expendables 3.

As well as shooting on location, the production company has created a studio to replicate New York's downtown Manhattan streets and the Colosseum in ancient Rome.

The feature film will also star Dolph Lundgren (The Shooter), Randy Couture (UFC
Wrestling), Wesley Snipes (Blade), Antonio Banderas (Desperado) and Harrison Ford (Star Wars).

The team's motto "no soldier gets left behind" clearly doesn't doesn’t apply to the thrird film, as Bruce Willis has not been seen in the first few days of filming.

This time round, Mel Gibson (Braveheart) and Twilight's Kellen Lutz will also join the Patrick Hughes-directed movie.

Gibson will play the character of Conrad Stonebanks – a dirty arms dealer, who provokes Stallone to bring in a new Expendables team who are, according to Lionsgate Films, “younger, faster and more tech-savvy,"

The first two Expendables movies made nearly £383 million in global box office revenue.

The Expendables 3 is due for release in August 2014.

[GeneChing]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuXkXJ1fPuk

[GeneChing]

Check Out the New Poster And TV Spots for THE EXPENDABLES 3 (http://www.wearemoviegeeks.com/2014/07/check-out-the-new-poster-and-tv-spots-for-the-expendables-3/)
By Tom Stockman | July 9, 2014

http://www.wearemoviegeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/expendables-3-ronda-rousey.jpg

THE EXPENDABLES 3 explodes into theaters on August 15th!

In THE EXPENDABLES 3, Barney (Sylvester Stallone), Christmas (Jason Statham) and the rest of the team come face-to-face with Conrad Stonebanks (Mel Gibson), who years ago co-founded The Expendables with Barney.

Stonebanks subsequently became a ruthless arms trader and someone who Barney was forced to kill… or so he thought. Stonebanks, who eluded death once before, now is making it his mission to end The Expendables — but Barney has other plans.

Barney decides that he has to fight old blood with new blood, and brings in a new era of Expendables team members, recruiting individuals who are younger, faster and more tech-savvy. The latest mission becomes a clash of classic old-school style versus high-tech expertise in the Expendables’ most personal battle yet.

http://www.wearemoviegeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/ex4.jpg

The world premiere of THE EXPENDABLES 3 will take place in London on August 4 ahead of its theatrical release on August 15.

The film stars Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture, Terry Crews, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Wesley Snipes, Antonio Banderas, Mel Gibson, Harrison Ford, Kellan Lutz, Kelsey Grammer, MMA star Ronda Rousey, welterweight boxing champion Victor Ortiz and Glen Powell.

Patrick Hughes (RED HILL) directs the film, with veteran Dan Bradley (The BOURNE franchise; MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: GHOST PROTOCOL, QUANTUM OF SOLACE) directing the second unit. THE EXPENDABLES 3 is written by Creighton Rothenberger & Katrin Benedikt, who previously teamed on OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN, and Sylvester Stallone. The film is produced by Avi Lerner, Kevin King-Templeton, Danny Lerner and Les Weldon. Trevor Short, Boaz Davidson and John Thompson are executive producers and the production was overseen by Lionsgate’s Jason Constantine and Eda Kowan.

http://www.wearemoviegeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/FIN05_EX3_Banner_12X5.5_Dom-560x256.jpg

The first two installments of THE EXPENDABLES have grossed nearly $600 million in combined global box office.

Check out these two new TV spots for THE EXPENDABLES 3:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCh8Nf_Un48
The 2nd 'new' TV spot is mostly redundant to this one so I'm only posting one here.

[GeneChing]

Expendables 3 Leaks Online, 100K+ Copies Down in Hours (http://torrentfreak.com/expendables-3-leaks-online-100k-copies-down-in-hours-140725/)
By Andy on July 25, 2014

The Expendables 3, featuring every action hero known to man, was set for an August 15 debut but has appeared online in near DVD quality. In just 12 hours, more than 100,000 copies have been downloaded. It's worth bearing in mind, however, that production company Nu Image sued those who downloaded the original movie.

http://torrentfreak.com/images/expendables3.jpg
You’d have to be enjoying a Mars residency not to know that all big (and most small) movies get leaked online. If it’s available in a cinema, someone, somewhere will have a copy in a matter of days and it’s just a question of when, not if, it appears on the Internet.

As such, these events aren’t particularly big news but every now and again one comes along to make people sit up and listen. Several hours ago, July 24, 2014, marked one such notable leaking event.

Featuring every action hero known to man, from Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Wesley Snipes, Jason Statham and Jet Li, to UFC stars Randy Couture and Ronda Rousey, Expendables 3 was always going to be a hit. However, the plan was to have it become a hit on the big screen before breaking into the home market.

That is not going to happen. Around twelve hours ago, a near perfect copy of The Expendables 3 appeared online and it’s already a smash hit with home audiences.

Screenshot from the leak
http://torrentfreak.com/images/exp1.png

Figures gathered by TorrentFreak reveal that more than 100,000 people have downloaded the presumed ‘DVD screener’ copy using BitTorrent alone, and at one point in excess of 65,000 users were engaged in transfers on a single torrent.

These stats push the leak well ahead of the initial pre-release popularity of the infamous X-Men Origins: Wolverine leak back in 2009 and once the news begins to spread today, things are only going to get worse.

Needless to say, the folks at distributor Lionsgate are going to be absolutely furious. While ‘cams’ are an annoyance, most movie-goers won’t want to destroy the movie experience by watching them. High-quality copies like this one are a different matter altogether and the soaring download numbers are a testament to that.

No blurry cams here, high-quality all the way
http://torrentfreak.com/images/exp2.png

So who is behind the leak? At this stage it’s impossible to point the finger at the person who obtained the DVD copy. However, we can take a look at who brought the copy to the wider public Internet.

When leaks come from a so-called ‘Scene’ source it’s possible to track the copy at least as far back as the group that placed it online but with so-called P2P releases, as is the case with Expendables 3, that’s not quite so easy. However, the initial and most popular copy appears to be attributable to an entity known as Drarbg.

Drarbg has accounts on several major torrent sites, including The Pirate Bay, and is one of the most prolific BitTorrent releasers online today. Many presume that this is a single person, but Drarbg has previously indicated that it’s a group of individuals working together as a team. Drarbg, as the name suggests, has affiliations with RARBG, a popular public torrent site.

It seems likely that this high-profile, high-quality leak will become a talking point in the hours, weeks and months to come and will probably be seized upon as a prime example of why piracy crackdowns are needed. However, there is also another angle to be aware of.

Nu Image, the production company behind all three Expendables titles, sued previous downloaders of its titles. Will history repeat itself? Time will tell….
so wait...Nu Image is suing Drarbg or all 100K+ downloaders? :rolleyes:

[GeneChing]

Jet is hardly in it. Ronda, Antonio and Wesley steal the show. Wesley gets the best line of the film. Harrison and Mel are okay. Mel can't match Sly's physique.

More to come on Friday when we post our official review.

[GeneChing]

Read EXPENDABLES 3: Social Security for Action Stars and the Armbar Holocaust (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=1171)by Gary W. Shockley

[Jimbo]

Read EXPENDABLES 3: Social Security for Action Stars and the Armbar Holocaust (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=1171)by Gary W. Shockley

Nice review.

Though I'm thinking that Jet Li's tiny part in the film has more to do with his current health issues (hyper-thyroidism) than having too many other projects on the table.

[GeneChing]

Legendary Status Not Required: How Sylvester Stallone Plucked ‘Expendables 3’ Director Patrick Hughes Out of Obscurity (http://grantland.com/hollywood-prospectus/legendary-status-not-required-how-sylvester-stallone-plucked-expendables-3-director-patrick-hughes-out-of-obscurity/)
August 15, 2014
by Matt Patches

http://espngrantland.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/patrick-hughes-expendables-3-e1408112501179.jpg?w=750

When Sylvester Stallone’s Expendables 3 character, Barney Ross, realizes his latest adversary, Stonebanks (Mel Gibson), packs more heat than even old-timer Lee Christmas (Jason Statham) can handle, he hits up his longtime friend Bonaparte (Kelsey Grammer) to wrangle a fresh-faced team of ass-kickers. The Expendables: The Next Generation recruits are young, fast, agile, and can work those newfangled computer thingies. (But, thankfully, they still have silly names like “Mars” and “Smilee.”) Guys like Toll Road (Randy Couture) and Gunnar (Dolph Lundgren) have battle scars to prove their valor, but a fully stocked résumé won’t outrun 18 incoming sniper shots. Age matters in the trenches.

That goes for blockbuster warfare, too. When Stallone handpicked Patrick Hughes to direct The Expendables’ third installment, the 36-year-old director had one feature credit to his name: Red Hill, a 2010 Australian western indie starring True Blood swoonthrob Ryan Kwanten. By August 2013, Hughes found himself on the Bulgarian set of an eight-figure Hollywood blockbuster, navigating the clown car of action vehicles. The way Hughes describes it, Stallone handing him the keys to the franchise wasn’t an invitation to live under the star-writer-producer’s thumb. This was a Barney Ross move. The Expendables 3 needed a whippersnapper. Hughes was there to keep Stallone’s rowdy team in check.

“Day one, take one I think I had eight of ’em lined up,” Hughes says. “I had a megaphone and told ’em where they were going to stand, what we were going to do, and how it was going to go. [But] as soon as you call ‘cut,’ they all start talking and after a while, it just felt like a kindergarten class. I’ve got a 5-year-old. You’re just trying to wrangle them all. You’ve got to use that megaphone a lot.”

Hughes self-identifies as a big, brassy Australian hungry to make his movies. Starving, really. To realize Red Hill — a brooding drama of chiseled-down cowboy archetypes, shadowy neo-western vistas, and brutal violence — the director threw his own cash into the project. The frustration of his movie stalling time and time again overtook his patience for traditional funding. He took a mortgage on his house, praying to God someone with industry influence might come along. The Berlin Film Festival was a breakthrough. Sony Pictures bought the film. Calls came in from Hollywood. DVD screeners floated around town. One dropped on Stallone’s lap.

“I got a call two weeks after Berlin that Sly had a screening of the movie and he can’t stop talking about it and he’s a huge fan,” Hughes recalls. “I was like, ‘Yeah, that’s awesome. And it’s completely useless information!’”

Weeks later, encouraging buzz solidified into a meeting with Stallone. The aging action star took to Red Hill’s gnarly set pieces. Maybe Barney Ross had a little Cormac McCarthy–style gunslinger in him, too. He sensed his own legacy in Hughes’s debut. The director says it’s there; on set, they referred to Red Hill as Rambo in the High Country. “I’m a huge fan of the western and action genres, but when you pare those stories down and the low roaring starts, it always comes down to the moral code of the hero,” Hughes says. “That’s what those stories represent, and that’s what [Stallone] was certainly drawn to.”

It didn’t hurt that Hughes revered the films The Expendables franchise always thought it was aping. Stallone was in deep writing and directing the first film in 2010, paying homage to his own ’80s shoot-’em-ups without the ability to stand back. Action veteran Simon West was a logical choice for The Expendables 2. But in Hughes, Stallone found someone who grew up dreaming of an Expendables-style mash-up. The first film Hughes made with his childhood Super 8 camera involved a stop-motion animated Rambo action figure setting fire to a Han Solo action figure. It ran 23 seconds. (“It was a terrible film,” Hughes admits.) The Expendables 3 could benefit from that same passion. Hughes had a chance to go wild with real-life action figures.

“When I initially sat down and discussed the project with him, we both thought the first one was too serious and the second one had run into parody. We wanted to strike a balance between those two and give it thematic weight,” Hughes says. He pushed Stallone to open up the action, both in script and effects. Hughes didn’t want to make a movie that was “just guys spraying bullets.” If he was going to recreate the ’80s style of filmmaking, he had to do it with practical set pieces with plenty of explosions. “We blow up every vehicle possible — tanks and cars and bikes and airplanes and choppers. I was looking for a different aesthetic. The opening train attack is very dynamic. The temptation there is to do it all CG, but no, let’s buy a train and get a chopper and do it for real. Let’s blow up a ****ing building.”

For Hughes, success was all about rapport. His ingrained admiration for the pillars of action cinema made cajoling the cast into following his orders easy. “I’d be like, ‘Han Solo’s gonna walk in and then, Rambo, you’re gonna come over here, and then you turn around and Terminator is going to be there, then we’ll pan over to reveal Desperado.’ They loved it.” Art imitated life. Like Barney passing the torch to the Expendables 2.0, Stallone’s sardonic mentor role extended to Hughes.

“I remember we’re with Mel and were [shooting] a scene where Sly only had two lines. I wanted him to lean forward to give a little bit of intimidation in terms of body language,” Hughes says. “By the third time I said, ‘Mel, that’s perfect. Sly, you keep forgetting to step forward, brother. You need to step forward on that line.’ And Sly goes, ‘If you give me that piece of direction one more time, I’m going to take my gun out and pistol whip your ****ing face!’ So I tell ’em, ‘You wanna rumble, Rocky? Why don’t you get out of the van and say that?’ And my eyes turn over to Mel and he looks utterly horrified, thinking, ‘What the **** is going on?’”

But directing an Expendables installment can be hell, no matter how much Stallone likes you. Hughes’s biggest challenge wasn’t stepping up from the indie world to shoot massive action sequences — it was keeping his head straight during a ****storm of scheduling. Rarely could every actor be on set at the same time. It forced Hughes, Stallone, and the film’s two additional writers, Olympus Has Fallen duo Creighton Rothenberger and Katrin Benedikt, to design a story that took into account actors’ schedules. Which resolved only half the problems. “Some sets, we went back and shot them 10 times, because I’d have Arnold in house but I didn’t have Antonio [Banderas], so you’d have to shoot it with Antonio’s double, then come back to that location and put Antonio back in the same, but I wouldn’t have Arnold, so we’d need his double,” Hughes says.

“I think 24 hours before we shot the movie, Terry Crews was supposed to die.” Hughes can’t help but laugh. “Then [Stallone] decided he was going to live. It’s a constantly moving target. It doesn’t stop. Even on set, he’s writing, writing, writing.” The fluidity worked in Hughes’s favor. He’s beside himself that, in the swell of The Expendables 3’s bombast, he managed to tuck in a few emotional beats. As Galgo, the team’s motormouth acrobat, Banderas brought comic relief and one of the film’s only true character arcs. And then there are the glorious moments of subversion: Late in the film, Schwarzenegger’s Trench and Jet Li’s Yin Yang get cozy at the Expendables’ go-to bar. Stallone ribs them: “Get a room.” But then the two seize the moment, nuzzling each other while laughing it off. Did the former-Governator just silently flip off Prop 8? Are two of the Expendables together by the end of the movie? “I believe they are,” Hughes says, like he just got away with something amazing.

Stallone’s endorsement is already paying off for Hughes. As The Expendables 3 rolls into theaters, the director is prepping his next blockbuster: a remake of the 2011 Indonesian fight film The Raid: Redemption. He describes his version as being in the vein of Black Hawk Down and Zero Dark Thirty, signaling major departures. He’s casting the 12 integral roles of the film’s ensemble, with sights on shooting early next year. “After that, I’m pretty sure I won’t do a movie with ensembles, camouflage, and guns for a while.”

Hughes understands what he was brought in to do for The Expendables 3. “It’s Sly’s franchise. I’m a part of the puzzle. It’s not a personal movie, it’s a big studio popcorn spectacle.” But while it may not be the most prestigious directing gig in the world, Hughes made the movie he wanted to make. And it was fun. “If you can get paid for it, it’s a win-win situation,” he says. Setting off explosions without taking a mortgage out on your house? Hughes just came to Hollywood and fulfilled the American dream.

Matt Patches (@misterpatches) is a writer and reporter in New York whose work can be seen on Vulture, The Hollywood Reporter, and Time Out. Trench & Yin Yang sitting in a tree....:o

[GeneChing]

...this is even funnier. ;)



Red Carpet Fail: Wesley Snipes Served With Legal Papers At ‘Expendables 3’ Premiere — SEE The Cringe-Worthy Pic (http://radaronline.com/exclusives/2014/08/wesley-snipes-served-legal-papers-premiere/)
Posted on Aug 21, 2014 @ 4:02AM
Radar Online

http://amradaronline.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/wesley-snipes-served-court-the-expendibles-3-premiere-pp-sl.jpg?w=551

Convicted tax cheat Wesley Snipes was all smiles on the red carpet promoting The Expendables 3 last week in Hollywood. But on the way to the after-party, that smile faded when the former jailbird was served with a notice ordering him to appear for a debtor’s examination — and RadarOnline.com has exclusively obtained the embarrassing photo!

Snipes is being sued by famed public relations powerhouse firm Sitrick & Company for failure to pay fees associated with work the group did when the actor was facing felony tax evasion charges.

Sitrick & Co. filed a lawsuit against the actor , and was granted a judgment, which has now ballooned to more than $103,000.

According to court documents, Snipes must “furnish information to aid in enforcement of a money judgement.”

The document clearly states he “may be subject to arrest and punishment for contempt of court, and the court may take an order requiring [him] to pay reasonable attorney fees incurred by the judgment creditor in this proceeding.”

In 2008, Snipes was convicted of three misdemeanor counts of failure to file tax returns for three years, and cheating the government out of $7 million.

After losing an appeal in 2010, Snipes was sentenced to three years in prison, and was released from a correctional facility in 2013, after serving three years.

Sources familiar with the situation tell Radar, “Wesley never contested any of the bills of fees of Sitrick & Co.”

Attempts to reach Snipes for comment were unsuccessful, and Sitrick & Co didn’t immediately respond.

[GeneChing]

Interview: Sylvester Stallone Promises R-Rated ‘Expendables 4′ (http://www.craveonline.com/film/interviews/792031-interview-sylvester-stallone-promises-r-rated-expendables-4)
Stallone calls the PG-13 rating for Expendables 3 ‘a horrible miscalculation.’

November 23rd, 2014 Fred Topel

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This month CraveOnline was given the opportunity ti interview Sylvester Stallone himself for the DVD and Blu-ray release of The Expendables 3. The interview had to be conducted by e-mail, so I did my best to load as many follow-up questions in each one to get the most detailed answer possible. Fans of R-rated action will most certainly like his answer to the final question about the PG-13ification of Expendables 3 (which, for the record, was not a problem for me). The sequel comes to DVD and Blu-ray in an unrated addition as well as the theatrical, and is available November 25.

CraveOnline: I find that all of your films explore what it means to be a man, both the nobility and vulnerability of masculinity. The Rocky films may be about our emotional side, the Rambo films about the tragedy of our capacity for violence, and many other standalone films. Would you agree with my analysis and where would the Expendable films fit into that theme?

Sylvester Stallone: The analysis is interesting. The way this film fits into the theme is that The Expendables is about reliance upon your fellow man – or “brother” – in times of need and in times of peace. This is about companionship, that no man stands alone in this world.

I’m glad Hale Caesar survived getting shot by Stonebanks, just like Gunner came back at the end of Expendables 1. So far the only Expendable who’s actually been expended is Billy the Kid (Liam Hemsworth in Ex 2). Is it important that the Expendables persevere, and whoever is your favorite Expendable, you can feel safe they’ll be back?

This is a big conflict for me because in an R-rated film it is difficult to believe that none of the heroes die. I personally just believe that the characters become identifiable and their demise could put a dark cloud over an audience exiting the theatre after seeing the film. But that may change in Expendables 4…

Patrick Hughes told us he thinks in the next sequel the Expendables should travel through time to WWII. Would you ever let the Expendables get that crazy?

I have actually entertained the idea of putting the group into such an unnatural environment that it, in an of itself, creates extra suspense and tension: the “fish out of water” scenario. That environment might not be time travel, but nearly just as jarring.

Antonio Banderas was a revelation in this movie. How did you think up that character who talks too much but kicks ass? Was it at all based on knowing Banderas personally?

It was from my relationship of having worked with Antonio before that allowed me to realize what he is capable of. His true personality is naturally dynamic so all I did was say “be yourself and pretend you’re a mercenary,” and the rest including the dialog was all his.

Was Mel Gibson ever approached to direct, or only to act?

I wanted Mel Gibson to direct originally because he’s an extraordinary filmmaker. But after several months of discussing it, this ultimately was not to be. But he did say he wanted to be in the movie – and play the villain. My response was a definite “YES…. Suit up.”

Snipes was your original choice for Hale Caesar. When he was available for Expendables 3, how did you develop the new character Doc for him?

I thought it would be interesting to have the audience realize that The Expendables have been together for years and that some of their former mentors have ended up in dramatic predicaments – such as moonlighting on their own – in this case involving a bungled political assassination in a small African nation which landed Wesley’s character in prison. And since Wesley’s personal predicament with the law was very well known, he thought this would be an interesting fusion between his real life and fiction.

This Blu-ray features an extended unrated version of Expendables 3. Do you think future Expendables movies should be R-rated from the get go?

Absolutely unequivocally yes. I believe it was a horrible miscalculation on everyone’s part in trying to reach a wider audience, but in doing such, diminish the violence that the audience expects. I’m quite certain it won’t happen again.


Fred Topel is a staff writer at CraveOnline and the man behind Best Episode Ever. Follow him on Twitter at @FredTopel.
Oh, I thought it was he was trying to reach a wider audience with the gay Trench & Yin Yang thing (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?64337-Expendables-3&p=1275585#post1275585)...:rolleyes: