User:The Castbreeder/The Expendables 2

The Expendables 2 is the title planned for an American ensemble action film, yet to be produced as of January 2011, under the development of Sylvester Stallone and Avi Lerner. The film will be a sequel to the 2010 film The Expendables, which paid tribute to the blockbuster action films of the 1980s and early 1990s. Stallone intends for the film to be "a love letter to martial arts". It is scheduled for release in 2012.

Development
Prior to the release of The Expendables, Stallone stated, "I have an idea ready to go" and "I'm going to try to do something that's quite radical". In an interview on August 15, 2010, he said that he does not have a new script yet, but "It's plotted out in my mind's eye." Stallone announced that after having dinner with Bruce Willis, he was courting the actor to take on a larger role in the sequel, possibly as a "super villain." In a recent Total Film article, Willis is quoted as saying that "Even Stone Cold Steve Austin who took two bullets in the last film, he's coming back, too." Willis continued, "I talked to Sly and he's going for all the marbles this time, and he's going to get everybody in this time." Willis presumably misspoke and mentioned Austin instead of Dolph Lundgren, whose character was the one that actually survived being shot in the chest.

Sources said that Stallone had been talking with Jean-Claude Van Damme, Hulk Hogan, Mr. T, Carl Weathers, Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, Charlie Sheen, Chuck Norris, Lorenzo Lamas, Jeff Speakman, Olivier Gruner, and Ryan Seacrest about the sequel, which he intends to be "a love letter to martial arts".

Since his term as governor of California has ended, much speculation has appeared on the internet over Arnold Schwarzenegger's involvement with the sequel. Stallone has mentioned his hope to get Schwarzenegger back for a "key role" in the sequel: "If this works, I would love to get him in the next one."

Sheldon Lettich recently said that Jean-Claude Van Damme would likely appear in the film. Lettich also believes that Steven Seagal would decline an appearance if asked, as Avi Lerner will reportedly return to produce. Many articles quoting Lettich incorrectly or deliberately combined two separate sentences so it would appear that Van Damme did not want Seagal involved in the film.

Planned cast
Bruce Willis has revealed Stallone's intention for the cast of the first film to return.

Stallone has also talked to several other actors about portraying new characters in the film, including Jean-Claude Van Damme, Hulk Hogan, Mr. T, Carl Weathers, Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, Charlie Sheen, Chuck Norris, Lorenzo Lamas, Jeff Speakman, Olivier Gruner, and Ryan Seacrest. Stallone reportedly wants Sheen to play a CIA agent chasing Willis' crime lord character, while Norris' role will be in a cameo like Schwarzenegger's in the first film. Although many believed the casting information about Seacrest to be a joke, Seacrest later confirmed that he was asked to play a "computer geek". Lundgren has expressed a desire for Van Damme to portray a villain whose neck he breaks.