The long-rumored "Expendables 4" is still happening, after all.
Franchise star Sylvester Stallone, who also directed the first installment and co-wrote all screenplays, confirmed everything on Friday, announcing the film and his return on his Instagram account.
Posting two announcements, Sly first said, "Somethings just can't be stopped! Coming your way!" This is accompanied by a photo of him as Barney Ross and Jason Statham as Lee Christmas, stamped with the meme, "Bros for Life."
His second post is a photo of him, Statham, and Dolph Lundgren with a statement: "We are the shadows and the smoke. We rise. We are the ghosts that hide in the night." He wrote on the caption:"Just when you thought it was safe to go outside...They're coming back!"
Sly's Instagram postings came a week after he suggested he is finally ready to work on the franchise's fourth installment. He did not give any other information about "The Expendables 4" like its release date and the start of production, at least on his social media. It is not the official green light fans have been waiting for. Nevertheless, franchise fans will still be happy to hear the project could, at long last, move forward.
Despite its financial success, the franchise has had trouble getting its fourth film off the ground. For three years since "The Expendables 3," there has been little to no progress about the sequel. Filming was supposed to start last year with a 2018 release, but Sly walked away from the project due to creative disagreements with series producer Avi Lerner. Shortly after his exit, co-star Arnold Schwarzenegger followed suit, announcing he would not return without Stalone.
Schwarzenegger has yet to confirm his involvement, but with Sly on board again, it is safe to assume he would be reprising his role, too. As for the rest of the cast, it is still a mystery. To recap, though, the list of actors who have appeared in the past films include Statham, Lundgren, Jet Li, Terry Crews, Bruce Willis, Chuck Norris, Mel Gibson, Harrison Ford, Randy Couture, and Steve Austin.
