Fox Orders THE EXPENDABLES To Script For Television
May 2015 be the age where all things action make way for the small screen! Ironically, the last franchise you would expect to be going straight to television would be The Expendables, considering its R-rated ensemble back in 2010 and 2012 promising a revitalized era of the glory days of old-school action from the 80’s and 90’s…before this happened.
Well, times have changed and the franchise’s lead action star, Sylvester Stallone and partner Avi Lerner have since decided to take whatever prospects there may have been for a fourth to see if the formula will work on television, thanks to a new report from Deadline. Word has it that the two will now be executive producing a potential television series based on the franchise for Fox from Lionsgate TV. Shane Brennan, who worked on NCIS will be showrunning as well as scripting with Ride Along write Greg Coolidge and Kirk Ward with a plot that centers on iconic TV characters in the same vein of our title heroes who will apply their deadly skill sets to stop a dangerous terrorist. Fellow Stallone cohort Kevin King and Shane Brennan Productions’s own Grant Anderson are also executive producing.
The series hasn’t been cast yet but Deadline currently lists a number of titles that the production may have in mind to choose its characters from, including Walker: Texas Ranger, 24, Magnum P.I., Xena, Quantum Leap, Alias, A-Team and the hit Cinemax series, Strike Back which ends its run this summer. Judging by this list, one is inclined to have some ideas about who might star.
Apparently the idea to bring the $800 million franchise to television came nearly three years ago on the heels of The Expendables 2. Since the third film released last summer, details have been scant pertaining to whether or not Stallone and co. would return for a fourth outing whilst applying some of the lessons learned following the perpetual debacle over the PG-13 treatment of the third film. There were even talks of possibly bringing Pierce Brosnan and boxer Manny Pacquiao on board. Looks like that won’t be happening, but updates on that end are still pending at the very least.
Stallone has also been attached to a long-awaited television adaptation of the hit action franchise, Rambo, which started making waves after the 2008 film released, while a fifth Rambo film has moved forward in a few steps already as recently as last year. Among a few other titles, the actor is currently poised to reprise his seasoned role as an aged iteration of the iconic boxing character, Rocky in the current production of the new film, Creed starring Fant4stic star, Michael B. Jordan. Stay tuned for more info.