'The Expendables 2' Set For August 17, 2012 Release

The sequel to Sylvester Stallone's surprise hit, The Expendables, has yet to lock down a director, but at least its got a release date. Lionsgate just announced that The Expendables 2, written by David Agosto and Ken Kaufman, will explode into theaters on August 17, 2012. It'll go head to head with another huge action sequel that comes out the week before: G.I. Joe 2, directed by Jon Chu. Read more after the break.

Since the script for The Expendables 2 is currently being written, there's no word on who could return, who might be a new addition to the cast or what exactly is going to happen. We do know that Stallone isn't going to direct this one, though, and that he's been looking at directors to replace himself.

If we're going to speculate however, Stallone started a rumor a few months back that Bruce Willis could return as a super villain and we know that Arnold Schwarzenegger has been eying new projects so I'd be willing to be he returns in a larger role. That seems like the logical jump off point, doesn't it? Those two characters – Willis and Schwarzenegger – were both so glossed over in the first film that explaining why they are so important could not only be a nice place to start the sequel but give the first film more context. Not that context is what the first film needed more of. What it could have used was more action and less mundane character moments.

As much as I disliked the first Expendables, I'm confident it's a formula that can work and maybe with Stallone strictly in front of the camera, it will. We'll find out next August.

Who would you hire to direct this this? And does it worry you that no matter who gets the job, they are already under the gun with a locked in release date?

Source: Coming Soon