''Expend4bles'' (also known as ''The Expendables 4'') is a 2023 American
action thriller film
Action film is a film genre in which the protagonist is thrust into a series of events that typically involve violence and physical feats. The genre tends to feature a mostly resourceful hero struggling against incredible odds, which include life ...
and the fourth installment in
''The Expendables'' franchise, following ''
The Expendables 3
''The Expendables 3'' is a 2014 American action film directed by Patrick Hughes and written by Creighton Rothenberger, Katrin Benedikt and Sylvester Stallone. It is the third installment in ''The Expendables'' franchise and the sequel to ''The ...
'' (2014). The film stars an
ensemble cast
In a dramatic production, an ensemble cast is one that is composed of multiple principal actors and performers who are typically assigned roughly equal amounts of screen time.Random House: ensemble acting Linked 2013-07-17
Structure
In contrast t ...
of largely action film actors consisting of
Jason Statham
Jason Statham (; born 26 July 1967) is an English actor. He is known for portraying characters in various action-thriller films who are typically tough, hardboiled, gritty, or violent.
Statham began practising Chinese martial arts, kickbox ...
,
Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson
Curtis James Jackson III (born July 6, 1975), known professionally as 50 Cent, is an American rapper, actor, and businessman. Born in the South Jamaica neighborhood of Queens, Jackson began pursuing a musical career in 2000, when he produced ...
,
Megan Fox
Megan Denise Fox (born May 16, 1986) is an American actress. She made her acting debut in the family film '' Holiday in the Sun'' (2001), which was followed by numerous supporting roles in film and television, such as the teen musical comedy ...
,
Dolph Lundgren
Hans Lundgren (, ; born 3 November 1957), better known as Dolph Lundgren, is a Swedish actor, filmmaker and martial artist. His breakthrough came in 1985, when he starred in ''Rocky IV'' as the imposing Soviet boxer Ivan Drago. Since then, Lu ...
,
Tony Jaa
Tatchakorn Yeerum ( th, ทัชชกร ยีรัมย์, , ; formerly Phanom Yeerum ( th, พนม ยีรัมย์, ); born 5 February 1976), better known internationally as Tony Jaa and in Thailand as Jaa Phanom ( th, จา � ...
,
Iko Uwais
Uwais Qorny (), known professionally as Iko Uwais, is an Indonesian actor, stuntman, fight choreographer, and martial artist. He is best known for acting in the action films ''Merantau'' (2009), '' The Raid'' (2011), ''The Raid 2'' (2014), ''He ...
,
Randy Couture
Randall Duane Couture (; born June 22, 1963) is an American actor, former U.S. Army sergeant, former mixed martial artist and former collegiate and Greco-Roman wrestler. During his tenures in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), he became ...
,
Jacob Scipio
Jacob Muntaz Scipio (born January 10, 1993) is an English actor and writer.
In 2016, Scipio co-founded CPO Productions. In that time he has written and starred in ''The Writers Group'' (2018) and ''Cowboys & Angels'' (2016), short films that pre ...
,
Levy Tran
Levy Tran (born November 16, 1983), born as Vy Le Tran, is an American actress and model, best known for her role as Roenick in the 2018 film '' The First Purge'', Desi Nguyen in '' MacGyver'', the guest hostess to MTV's '' Guy Code'', for her a ...
,
Andy García
Andrés Arturo García Menéndez (born April 12, 1956), known professionally as Andy García, is a Cuban-born American actor, director and musician. He first rose to prominence acting in Brian De Palma's '' The Untouchables'' (1987) alongsi ...
, and
Sylvester Stallone
Sylvester Enzio Stallone (; born Michael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone, ) is an American actor and filmmaker. After his beginnings as a struggling actor for a number of years upon arriving to New York City in 1969 and later Hollywood in 1974, h ...
. It is directed by
Scott Waugh
Scott Waugh (born 1970 or 1971) is an American film director, producer, and former stunt performer, best known for directing the 2012 war film ''Act of Valor'' with Mike McCoy. He also directed the ''Need for Speed'' film adaptation. He won t ...
from a screenplay by
Kurt Wimmer
Kurt Wimmer (born 1964) is an American screenwriter, film producer and film director.
Biography
He attended the University of South Florida and graduated with a BFA degree in Art History. He then moved to Los Angeles, where he worked for 12 yea ...
, Tad Daggerhart and
Max D. Adams
Max D. Adams is an American screenwriter and author. The winner of a Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting and an Austin Film Festival screenwriting award, Adams went on to be dubbed “Red Hot Adams” by Daily Variety.
Career
Adams has worked wit ...
, based on a story by
Spenser Cohen
Spenser Cohen is an American film screenwriter, executive producer, and director best known for his work on ''Extinction'' (2018) and '' Moonfall'' (2022).
Career
In March 2012, Cohen directed Diana DeGarmo's music video "Good Goodbye". Cohe ...
, Wimmer and Daggerhart.
''Expend4bles'' was released in
mainland China
"Mainland China" is a geopolitical term defined as the territory governed by the People's Republic of China (including islands like Hainan or Chongming), excluding dependent territories of the PRC, and other territories within Greater Chin ...
on September 15, 2023, and in the United States a week later, by
Lionsgate
Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation, doing business as Lionsgate, is a Canadian- American entertainment company. It was formed by Frank Giustra on July 10, 1997, domiciled in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and is currently headquarter ...
. The film received negative reviews from critics with praise for Statham’s performance and action sequences, but criticized its script, Stallone's limited screen time, direction, some of the new characters and VFX. It has grossed $51 million worldwide against a budget of $100 million, making it a
box-office bomb
A box-office bomb, or box-office disaster, is a film that is unprofitable or considered highly unsuccessful during its theatrical run. Although any film for which the production, marketing, and distribution costs combined exceed the revenue after ...
. It was nominated for seven
Golden Raspberry Awards
The Golden Raspberry Awards (also known as the Razzies and Razzie Awards) is a parody award show honoring the worst of cinematic under-achievements. Co-founded by UCLA film graduates and film industry veterans John J. B. Wilson and Mo Murphy, ...
, winning two, for
Worst Supporting Actor and
Worst Supporting Actress.
Plot
The Expendables are sent to
Libya
Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Su ...
to prevent mercenary Suarto Rahmat from stealing
nuclear warheads
A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission (fission bomb) or a combination of fission and fusion reactions (thermonuclear bomb), producing a nuclear explosion. Both bomb ...
for a mysterious terrorist named Ocelot. The team is led by Barney Ross and formed by members Lee Christmas, Toll Road, and Gunner Jensen, with new members Easy Day and Galan. However, they are incapacitated when all of their vehicles are destroyed in the ensuing fight. When Rahmat shoots their plane down, the team finds what appears to be Barney's burned corpse in the wreckage, identified solely by his ring.
At Barney's memorial service, CIA operative Marsh reveals that the team will pursue Ocelot and Rahmat, but without Christmas, who jeopardized the mission trying to save Barney. He is replaced by Gina, his former lover, who also brings an operative named Lash into the team. The team travels to
Asia
Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an ...
, but is secretly tracked by Christmas, who had slipped Gina a tracking device earlier. Barney's apparent death opened a sealed file which states that there is an eyewitness that could identify Ocelot.
Ocelot plans to provoke
World War III
World War III or the Third World War, often abbreviated as WWIII or WW3, are names given to a hypothetical worldwide large-scale military conflict subsequent to World War I and World War II. The term has been in use since at ...
by letting the nuclear warheads explode in the
Russian Far East
The Russian Far East (russian: Дальний Восток России, r=Dal'niy Vostok Rossii, p=ˈdalʲnʲɪj vɐˈstok rɐˈsʲiɪ) is a region in Northeast Asia. It is the easternmost part of Russia and the Asian continent; and is admin ...
, transporting them on a ship disguised as an American
aircraft carrier. As the Expendables and Marsh board the ship, they are ambushed and taken hostage. Marsh is taken away to negotiate a prisoner-exchange for the eyewitness.
Meanwhile, Christmas travels to
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
to recruit former Expendable Decha, who has turned towards
pacifism
Pacifism is the opposition or resistance to war, militarism (including conscription and mandatory military service) or violence. Pacifists generally reject theories of Just War. The word ''pacifism'' was coined by the French peace campaig ...
but agrees to bring him to the ship to avenge Barney. As Christmas fights his way through the ship, Decha has a change of heart and helps him rescue the rest of the team. They launch an attack on Rahmat's forces, during which Christmas fights and kills him. However, Toll has been severely stabbed and needs immediate medical care.
During the prisoner exchange, Marsh kills the eyewitness and is revealed to be Ocelot, hoping to financially profit from igniting World War III. While the team leaves on Decha's boat to save Toll, Christmas stays behind to turn the ship around to avoid a global conflict. He confronts Marsh, who is killed by Barney, who surprises everyone by revealing that he faked his death, hoping to lure Ocelot out of hiding. They escape the nuclear explosion and celebrate with the team.
Cast
*
Jason Statham
Jason Statham (; born 26 July 1967) is an English actor. He is known for portraying characters in various action-thriller films who are typically tough, hardboiled, gritty, or violent.
Statham began practising Chinese martial arts, kickbox ...
as Lee Christmas: The team's knife expert and second in command.
As Stallone was looking to pass the franchise's lead on to Statham, he did about 80% of all filming, oversaw post-production, and served as a producer.
*
Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson
Curtis James Jackson III (born July 6, 1975), known professionally as 50 Cent, is an American rapper, actor, and businessman. Born in the South Jamaica neighborhood of Queens, Jackson began pursuing a musical career in 2000, when he produced ...
as Easy Day, a new member of the Expendables and former Army Special Forces operator.
*
Megan Fox
Megan Denise Fox (born May 16, 1986) is an American actress. She made her acting debut in the family film '' Holiday in the Sun'' (2001), which was followed by numerous supporting roles in film and television, such as the teen musical comedy ...
as Gina, a
CIA
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gathering, processing, ...
operator and member of the Expendables as well as Christmas' girlfriend.
*
Dolph Lundgren
Hans Lundgren (, ; born 3 November 1957), better known as Dolph Lundgren, is a Swedish actor, filmmaker and martial artist. His breakthrough came in 1985, when he starred in ''Rocky IV'' as the imposing Soviet boxer Ivan Drago. Since then, Lu ...
as Gunner Jensen: A volatile member of the team, undone by years of combat stress.
Lundgren stated that his character has been sober for several years now and is on a philosophical soul search.
*
Tony Jaa
Tatchakorn Yeerum ( th, ทัชชกร ยีรัมย์, , ; formerly Phanom Yeerum ( th, พนม ยีรัมย์, ); born 5 February 1976), better known internationally as Tony Jaa and in Thailand as Jaa Phanom ( th, จา � ...
as Decha Unai, a former member of the Expendables.
*
Iko Uwais
Uwais Qorny (), known professionally as Iko Uwais, is an Indonesian actor, stuntman, fight choreographer, and martial artist. He is best known for acting in the action films ''Merantau'' (2009), '' The Raid'' (2011), ''The Raid 2'' (2014), ''He ...
as Suarto Rahmat, a mercenary and the secondary antagonist working with Ocelot.
*
Randy Couture
Randall Duane Couture (; born June 22, 1963) is an American actor, former U.S. Army sergeant, former mixed martial artist and former collegiate and Greco-Roman wrestler. During his tenures in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), he became ...
as Toll Road: The team's demolitions expert.
*
Jacob Scipio
Jacob Muntaz Scipio (born January 10, 1993) is an English actor and writer.
In 2016, Scipio co-founded CPO Productions. In that time he has written and starred in ''The Writers Group'' (2018) and ''Cowboys & Angels'' (2016), short films that pre ...
as Galan, a new member of the Expendables and son of former member Galgo. Originally,
Antonio Banderas
José Antonio Domínguez Bandera (born 10 August 1960), known professionally as Antonio Banderas, is a Spanish actor and singer. Known for his work in films of several genres, he has received various accolades, including a Cannes Film Festival ...
was slated to reprise his role as Galgo and his dialogue and character was rewritten into that of Galan when he turned out to be unavailable.
*
Levy Tran
Levy Tran (born November 16, 1983), born as Vy Le Tran, is an American actress and model, best known for her role as Roenick in the 2018 film '' The First Purge'', Desi Nguyen in '' MacGyver'', the guest hostess to MTV's '' Guy Code'', for her a ...
as Lash, a
CIA
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gathering, processing, ...
operator and a new member of the Expendables.
*
Andy García
Andrés Arturo García Menéndez (born April 12, 1956), known professionally as Andy García, is a Cuban-born American actor, director and musician. He first rose to prominence acting in Brian De Palma's '' The Untouchables'' (1987) alongsi ...
as Marsh,
a
CIA
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gathering, processing, ...
officer who hires the Expendables for contract work.
*
Sylvester Stallone
Sylvester Enzio Stallone (; born Michael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone, ) is an American actor and filmmaker. After his beginnings as a struggling actor for a number of years upon arriving to New York City in 1969 and later Hollywood in 1974, h ...
as Barney Ross: The leader of the Expendables. Stallone confirmed that the film would be his final appearance as Barney Ross, with Statham expecting to take over the series after his departure.
Due to this, his role in the film was limited.
Additionally, Sheila Shah was cast as Mandy / Adele, alongside
Eddie Hall
Edward Stephen Hall (born 15 January 1988) is an English media personality, actor, boxer, and former strongman.
He won the World's Strongest Man 2017 competition. Hall has also won national competitions such as UK's Strongest Man, Britain's ...
as a bouncer.
Production
Development
After ''
The Expendables 3
''The Expendables 3'' is a 2014 American action film directed by Patrick Hughes and written by Creighton Rothenberger, Katrin Benedikt and Sylvester Stallone. It is the third installment in ''The Expendables'' franchise and the sequel to ''The ...
'' (2014) underperformed at the box office, the future of the series was left in doubt
and production stalled over several years. By November 2014, it was announced that the project is being developed with intent to retain its R-rating like the first two films. In December 2016,
Sylvester Stallone
Sylvester Enzio Stallone (; born Michael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone, ) is an American actor and filmmaker. After his beginnings as a struggling actor for a number of years upon arriving to New York City in 1969 and later Hollywood in 1974, h ...
announced that the fourth installment will be the final film in the series, while a scheduled tentative release date was set for 2018. By March 2017, Stallone had left the project and the franchise, due to creative differences over the script and direction for continuing the franchise. In January 2018, after vocal support from other cast members (including
Arnold Schwarzenegger), Stallone announced his return to the series with a post to his social media platforms; confirming new developments on the fourth movie.
By August 2020, Vértice Cine announced their involvement as a production studio on the movie, alongside
Lionsgate
Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation, doing business as Lionsgate, is a Canadian- American entertainment company. It was formed by Frank Giustra on July 10, 1997, domiciled in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and is currently headquarter ...
and
Millennium Films
A millennium (plural millennia or millenniums) is a period of one thousand years, sometimes called a kiloannum (ka), or kiloyear (ky). Normally, the word is used specifically for periods of a thousand years that begin at the starting point (ini ...
. They also revealed that
Patrick Hughes will return to the series as director.
In November 2020, the president of Millennium Media, Jeffrey Greenstein, stated that the studio is continuing to work on ''The Expendables 4'' after various delays within the industry worldwide due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identified ...
. In August 2021, ''
The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly large ...
'' reported that
Scott Waugh
Scott Waugh (born 1970 or 1971) is an American film director, producer, and former stunt performer, best known for directing the 2012 war film ''Act of Valor'' with Mike McCoy. He also directed the ''Need for Speed'' film adaptation. He won t ...
would be directing the film, replacing Hughes, as well as Statham serving as a producer of the film,
while Stallone confirmed his involvement with the project, and that ''The Expendables 4'' was the same project as ''The Expendables: A Christmas Story'', previously reported as a
spin-off
Spin-off may refer to:
*Spin-off (media), a media work derived from an existing work
*Corporate spin-off, a type of corporate action that forms a new company or entity
* Government spin-off, civilian goods which are the result of military or gove ...
but in fact the film's working-title during development. Stallone further stated that production was set to commence in October of that year.
According to
Dolph Lundgren
Hans Lundgren (, ; born 3 November 1957), better known as Dolph Lundgren, is a Swedish actor, filmmaker and martial artist. His breakthrough came in 1985, when he starred in ''Rocky IV'' as the imposing Soviet boxer Ivan Drago. Since then, Lu ...
, the film had a budget of $100 million.
Writing
In July 2018,
Gregory Poirier
Gregory Stephen Poirier (born 19 May 1961) is an American film and television writer, director, and producer.
Life and career
Poirier was born in Kula, Maui, Hawaii, and attended the Maui Academy of Performing Arts. He wrote the screenpla ...
announced his role as screenwriter. Production was tentatively scheduled to begin by April 2019, though it wasn't until July of that year that Stallone announced that he was continuing to work on the script for the project. The script was completed later that year, though negotiations with producers were ongoing. In August 2021, it was announced that
Spenser Cohen
Spenser Cohen is an American film screenwriter, executive producer, and director best known for his work on ''Extinction'' (2018) and '' Moonfall'' (2022).
Career
In March 2012, Cohen directed Diana DeGarmo's music video "Good Goodbye". Cohe ...
wrote the most recent draft of the script with
Max Adams, from a story by Cohen.
Casting
Over the years, multiple actors reported interest or claimed they were approached to star in a fourth installment. In March 2014,
Pierce Brosnan
Pierce Brendan Brosnan (; born 16 May 1953) is an Irish actor and film producer. He is best known as the fifth actor to play secret agent James Bond in the Bond film series, starring in four films from 1995 to 2002 ('' GoldenEye'', '' Tomorrow ...
stated that he had agreed with producer
Avi Lerner
Avinoam Lerner ( he, אבי לרנר; born 13 October 1947) is an Israeli-American film producer, primarily of American action movies. Lerner is the founder and CEO of Millennium Films.
Life and career
Avi Lerner was born in Haifa, Israel), on ...
to star in a fourth installment. By April of the same year, Sylvester Stallone revealed his first choice for the villain was
Jack Nicholson
John Joseph Nicholson (born April 22, 1937) is an American retired actor and filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of all time. In many of his films, he played rebels against the social structure. He received numerous ...
, while mentioning his interest in convincing
Clint Eastwood
Clinton Eastwood Jr. (born May 31, 1930) is an American actor and film director. After achieving success in the Western TV series '' Rawhide'', he rose to international fame with his role as the " Man with No Name" in Sergio Leone's "'' D ...
to join the production. According to
Jackie Chan
Fang Shilong (born 7 April 1954), known professionally in English as Jackie Chan and in Chinese as Cheng Long ( zh, c=成龍, j=Sing4 Lung4; "becoming the dragon"), is a Hong Kong actor, filmmaker, martial artist, and stuntman known for ...
, he was approached to star in the film by Stallone but was unsure about having limited screen time in an ensemble film, which is why he had turned down roles in the previous two entries.
Dwayne Johnson
Dwayne Douglas Johnson (born May 2, 1972), also known by his ring name The Rock, is an American actor and former professional wrestler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, he was integral to the develop ...
publicly expressed interest to play a villainous character in a new installment during a 2014 Q&A and reiterated his interest to join the series in 2022. In May 2015,
Hulk Hogan
Terry Eugene Bollea (; born August 11, 1953), better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American retired professional wrestler. He is widely regarded as the most recognized wrestling star worldwide and the most popular wrestler of the 1 ...
claimed that he was in talks with Stallone to play the film's main villain.
In June 2020,
Jean-Claude Van Damme
Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg (, ; born 18 October 1960), known professionally as Jean-Claude Van Damme (, ), is a Belgian actor, martial artist, filmmaker, and fight choreographer. Born and raised in Brussels, Belgium, at the a ...
expressed interest in returning to the franchise, publicly pitching his idea of playing Claude Vilain, the brother to his villain character, Jean Vilain, from ''
The Expendables 2
''The Expendables 2'' is a 2012 American action film directed by Simon West, written by Richard Wenk and Sylvester Stallone and based on a story by Ken Kaufman, David Agosto and Wenk. Brian Tyler returned to score the film. It is the sequel t ...
''. Despite discontent with how his character was handled in ''
The Expendables 3
''The Expendables 3'' is a 2014 American action film directed by Patrick Hughes and written by Creighton Rothenberger, Katrin Benedikt and Sylvester Stallone. It is the third installment in ''The Expendables'' franchise and the sequel to ''The ...
'', Arnold Schwarzenegger proclaimed he was interested in returning to the series if he liked the script. However; on May 29, 2023, Schwarzenegger confirmed that he would not be returning to the franchise, citing a general disinterest.
While he was not included in the fourth movie,
Kellan Lutz
Kellan Christopher Lutz (born March 15, 1985) is an American actor and model. He made his film debut in ''Stick It'' (2006), and is best known for playing Emmett Cullen in ''The Twilight Saga'' film series (2008–2012). He has since played Pos ...
proclaimed interest to return in a fifth installment in an
Instagram
Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...
post. On the other hand,
Terry Crews
Terry Alan Crews (born July 30, 1968) is an American actor, television host, and former American footballer. He played Julius Rock in the UPN/ CW sitcom '' Everybody Hates Chris'', which aired from 2005 to 2009, and portrayed Terry Jefford ...
, who had starred in all previous films, refused to appear in any new entries after claiming he was sexually assaulted by Stallone's agent, Adam Venit, alleging he was pressured by producer Avi Lerner to drop the case if he wanted to stay in the series.
However, none of the actors mentioned above were subsequently cast, and the cast was announced to include returning stars Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham,
Randy Couture
Randall Duane Couture (; born June 22, 1963) is an American actor, former U.S. Army sergeant, former mixed martial artist and former collegiate and Greco-Roman wrestler. During his tenures in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), he became ...
, and Dolph Lundgren, while new cast members were revealed to be
Eddie Hall
Edward Stephen Hall (born 15 January 1988) is an English media personality, actor, boxer, and former strongman.
He won the World's Strongest Man 2017 competition. Hall has also won national competitions such as UK's Strongest Man, Britain's ...
,
Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson
Curtis James Jackson III (born July 6, 1975), known professionally as 50 Cent, is an American rapper, actor, and businessman. Born in the South Jamaica neighborhood of Queens, Jackson began pursuing a musical career in 2000, when he produced ...
,
Megan Fox
Megan Denise Fox (born May 16, 1986) is an American actress. She made her acting debut in the family film '' Holiday in the Sun'' (2001), which was followed by numerous supporting roles in film and television, such as the teen musical comedy ...
,
Tony Jaa
Tatchakorn Yeerum ( th, ทัชชกร ยีรัมย์, , ; formerly Phanom Yeerum ( th, พนม ยีรัมย์, ); born 5 February 1976), better known internationally as Tony Jaa and in Thailand as Jaa Phanom ( th, จา � ...
,
Andy García
Andrés Arturo García Menéndez (born April 12, 1956), known professionally as Andy García, is a Cuban-born American actor, director and musician. He first rose to prominence acting in Brian De Palma's '' The Untouchables'' (1987) alongsi ...
, Sheila Shah,
Jacob Scipio
Jacob Muntaz Scipio (born January 10, 1993) is an English actor and writer.
In 2016, Scipio co-founded CPO Productions. In that time he has written and starred in ''The Writers Group'' (2018) and ''Cowboys & Angels'' (2016), short films that pre ...
and
Levy Tran
Levy Tran (born November 16, 1983), born as Vy Le Tran, is an American actress and model, best known for her role as Roenick in the 2018 film '' The First Purge'', Desi Nguyen in '' MacGyver'', the guest hostess to MTV's '' Guy Code'', for her a ...
,
with
Iko Uwais
Uwais Qorny (), known professionally as Iko Uwais, is an Indonesian actor, stuntman, fight choreographer, and martial artist. He is best known for acting in the action films ''Merantau'' (2009), '' The Raid'' (2011), ''The Raid 2'' (2014), ''He ...
playing the villain.
Filming
In August 2021, it was stated that
principal photography
Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production.
Personnel
Besides the main film personnel, such as a ...
would begin in October.
Filming officially commenced on September 29, 2021. In October 2021, Stallone announced on social media that he had finished filming his scenes for the movie.
The film was shot in
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
and
Bulgaria
Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Mac ...
and the
Jackie Chan Stunt Team
The Jackie Chan Stunt Team (), also known as Jackie Chan's Stuntmen Association, is a group of stuntmen and martial artists who work alongside Jackie Chan. Founded in the 1970s, it initially included Hong Kong action stuntmen and martial artists ...
handled stunt choreography. In November 2021, production was shot in
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders wit ...
, including the city of
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki (; el, Θεσσαλονίκη, , also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece, with over one million inhabitants in its Thessaloniki metropolitan area, metropolitan area, and the capi ...
. Members of the
Greek Armed Forces
The Hellenic Armed Forces ( el, Eλληνικές Ένοπλες Δυνάμεις, Ellinikés Énoples Dynámis) are the military forces of Greece. They consist of the Hellenic Army, the Hellenic Navy, and the Hellenic Air Force.
The civilian a ...
were used as
extras and alleged they were not compensated for their month-long official deployment, despite working overtime. On December 3, 2021, Tony Jaa confirmed filming had wrapped.
Post-production
The film title had been retitled ''Expend4bles'' by June 2023, a name that was widely ridiculed by commentators. When asked why they chose this title, producer Les Weldon stated that it had always been the filmmakers' desire while retaining ''The Expendables''
brand identity
A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's good or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create a ...
.
Music
On April 26, 2023, Guillaume Roussel announced that he would be composing the film's score, replacing
Brian Tyler
Brian Theodore Tyler (born May 8, 1972) is an American composer, Conducting, conductor, arranger, and Record producer, record producer, best known for his film, television, and video game scores. In his 24-year career, Tyler has scored ''Trans ...
from the previous three installments.
Track listing
Release
Theatrical
''Expend4bles'' was released in mainland China on September 15, 2023, and was theatrically released by
Lionsgate Films
Lionsgate Films (formerly known as Cinépix Film Properties) is an American film production and film distribution studio, headquartered in Santa Monica and founded in Canada, and is the flagship division of Lionsgate Entertainment. It is the lar ...
on September 22, 2023. The film was originally scheduled to be released in 2022.
Home media
''Expend4bles'' was released for digital platforms on October 13, 2023, followed by a
DVD
The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kin ...
,
Blu-ray
The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and capable of s ...
, and
Ultra HD Blu-ray
Ultra HD Blu-ray (4K Ultra HD, UHD-BD, or 4K Blu-ray) is a digital optical disc data storage format that is an enhanced variant of Blu-ray. Ultra HD Blu-ray discs are incompatible with existing standard Blu-ray players, though a traditional B ...
release on November 21, 2023.
Marketing
In April 2022, the first
standee
A standee is an American term for a large self-standing display promoting a movie, product or event, or point-of-sale advertising, often in the form of a life-size cut-out figure. They are typically made of foam-board, and may range from large ...
posters for the film were unveiled at
CinemaCon
The National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO) is an American trade organization whose members are the owners of movie theaters. Most of the worldwide major theater chains' operators are members, as are hundreds of independent theater opera ...
. The first teaser trailer footage was released exclusively to the attendees at Lionsgate's presentation at the convention. On June 6, 2023, the first poster for the film was released, with the first trailer releasing a day later. A second trailer advertising the film's R rating was released August 23, 2023.
Reception
Box office
, ''Expend4bles'' has grossed $16.7 million in the United States and Canada, and $34.3 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $51 million.
In the United States and Canada, ''Expend4bles'' was initially projected to gross $15–17 million from 3,518 theaters in its opening weekend.
After making $3.1 million on its first day (including $750,000 from Thursday night previews), estimates were lowered, and it went on debut to $8 million, finishing second behind holdover ''
The Nun II
''The Nun II'' (also known as ''The Nun: Chapter Two'') is a 2023 American gothic supernatural horror film directed by Michael Chaves, with a screenplay written by Ian Goldberg, Richard Naing, and Akela Cooper from a story by Cooper. Serving ...
''.
The film fell 69% to $2.5 million in its second weekend, finishing in ninth place.
In China, the film opened to $10.7 million, narrowly finishing first before a Chinese film.
Critical response
Audiences surveyed by
CinemaScore
CinemaScore is a market research firm based in Las Vegas. It surveys film audiences to rate their viewing experiences with letter grades, reports the results, and forecasts box office receipts based on the data.
Background
Ed Mintz founded Ci ...
gave the film an average grade of "B–" on an A+ to F scale, the lowest of the series, while those polled at
PostTrak
PostTrak is a U.S.-based service that surveys film audiences for film studios.
History
The service conducts surveys in the top 20 markets in the U.S. and Canada with the use of polling cards and electronic kiosks. A PostTrak report for a film ...
gave it a 64% overall positive score.
Owen Gleiberman
Owen Gleiberman (born February 24, 1959) is an American film critic who has been chief film critic for '' Variety'' magazine since May 2016, a title he shares with . Previously, Gleiberman wrote for ''Entertainment Weekly'' from 1990 until 2014 ...
, writing for ''
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'', said: "This is true 21st-century trash: a movie in which the action itself is expendable." Referencing the poor CGI effects,
''Collider'' wrote that ''Expend4bles'' was "
ten resembling more of a mobile game than a movie";
several reviewers compared it to ''
Hidden Strike
''Hidden Strike'' (also known as ''Project X-Traction'' in some markets) is a 2023 action-adventure film directed and edited by Scott Waugh and written by Arash Amel. The film stars Jackie Chan, John Cena, Ma Chunrui, and Pilou Asbaek.
''Hid ...
'', another film by Waugh with similarly bad CGI.
Simon Thompson of
IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa dist ...
voiced similar complaints, stating: "the special effects,
..look either unfinished or just so bad that it's sad,
..like they were ripped from the graphics package of a mid-to-low-budget video game from the early 2000s".
The acting, plot, dialogue, and violence were criticized by various reviewers. Thompson called the "clunky and uninspired dialogue" awful, concluding that the film was overall a "crushing disappointment that lacks any of the nostalgia, charisma, and charm that made the franchise appealing".
Todd McCarthy
Todd McCarthy (born February 16, 1950) is an American film critic and author. He wrote for '' Variety'' for 31 years as its chief film critic until 2010. In October of that year, he joined '' The Hollywood Reporter'', where he subsequently serve ...
of ''
Deadline
Deadline(s) or The Deadline(s) may refer to:
* Time limit, a narrow field of time by which an objective must be accomplished
Arts, entertainment, and media Comics
* Deadline (DC Comics), a fictional villain
* ''Deadline'' (magazine), a Britis ...
'' criticized that the movie was lazily executed, feeling that especially the final battle was an exact copy of ''
Meg 2
''Meg 2: The Trench'' (titled ''Shark 2'' in some territories) is a 2023 science fiction action film directed by Ben Wheatley and a sequel to '' The Meg'' (2018), based on the 1999 novel ''The Trench'' by Steve Alten. Jon Hoeber, Erich Hoeb ...
'', another 2023 action film starring Statham.
Furthermore, multiple reviews criticized the overall weak cast in comparison to its predecessors, with many noting that the movie hardly retains the franchise's original selling point of featuring an all-star cast of action legends.
A review in
''Paste'' noted that "Statham opts to accept a promotion to series lead" but added "Refashioning ''The Expendables'' into a Statham star vehicle only highlights the wrong kind of expendability from many of his long-time costars; why ''can't'' we just watch our man kick ass on his own or in various duos?"
An otherwise negative review at ''
/Film
''/Film'', also spelled ''Slashfilm'', is a blog that covers movie news, reviews, interviews, and trailers. It was founded by Peter Sciretta in August 2005.
Podcasts
Six podcasts have run on the site. ''The /Filmcast'', hosted by David Chen, ...
'' conceded however that the film might be the best of the franchise,
while a review from ''
Digital Spy
Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television programmes, ...
'' stated while "the sense of cheesy throwback fun is restored in both the gleefully violent action and the script... It's absolutely not enough to save a movie that is two-thirds boring, but it does at least elevate ''The Expendables 4'' above the irredeemable third movie. You'll be left on such an adrenaline high that you wouldn't be surprised if – like the aforementioned STI – the Expendables will be back for another round."
Accolades
Notes
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Expendables 4
2023 action adventure films
2023 action thriller films
2023 films
2020s American films
2020s English-language films
2020s vigilante films
American action adventure films
American sequel films
American vigilante films
Films about mercenaries
Films about nuclear war and weapons
Films about terrorism
Films directed by Scott Waugh
Films postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic
Films produced by Avi Lerner
Films produced by Jason Statham
Films set in Libya
Films set in Thailand
Films shot in Bulgaria
Films shot in England
Films shot in Greece
Films shot in London
Films shot in Thessaloniki
Films with screenplays by Kurt Wimmer
Lionsgate films
Nu Image films
The Expendables (franchise)
Films about World War III
Golden Raspberry Award winning films