'The Expendables 4' Will Open In Theaters In 2017

Despite The Expendables 3's underwhelming box-office performance in the States, this franchise isn't dead yet. They can't seem to get these movies right, but that's not stopping Sylvester Stallone (Antz) and all involved from making Expendables 4. Learn more about the sequel after the jump.

A director isn't attached yet, but Variety is reporting the sequel will shoot next year to make an unknown 2017 release date. All of The Expendables films have been summer releases, so it's fair to assume that's the time of year we'll see The Expendables 4. Millennium Movies/ Upcoming Nu Image are partnering with China's SSXH and Max Screen Beijing, to make the sequel for $100 million.

Stallone believes mistakes were made with the third film, as trying to make a PG-13 Expendables movie kind of missed the point of the series' appeal.

Absolutely unequivocally yes. I believe it was a horrible miscalculation on everyone's part in trying to reach a wider audience, but in doing such, diminish the violence that the audience expects. I'm quite certain it won't happen again.

The PG-13 rating was the least of the sequel's problems. With ensembles this big, so many of the characters get left out to dry. Plus, with all the actors' busy schedules, you can tell when they aren't actually in the same room together for a scene. You want to see Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger actually act together, not have their performances and scenes spliced together.

All of The Expendables movies feel like they're trying to find their footing, never landing on the right tone. The first movie took itself very seriously, for what it was, while the sequel was more cartoonish. Once again, Stallone wants to change things up.

I have actually entertained the idea of putting the group into such an unnatural environment that it, in an of itself, creates extra suspense and tension: the "fish out of water" scenario. That environment might not be time travel, but nearly just as jarring.

We should expect the main players — Stallone, Jason Statham, and Arnold — to return. There was also talk that Hulk Hogan might appear. Stallone gave him a break with Rocky III, and a few months back, apparently they had talked about working together on an Expendables sequel.

We're trying to figure out a way to maybe turn me into the most evil man in the world. Y'know, Stallone gave me my first break and he's been a great friend. We had a great conversation, talking about the possibilities. 'Can I still run, can I still jump?' Well, not as fast or not as high, but I think Hollywood could find a good stunt man to help me out.

But after his recent PR woes, we probably shouldn't expect to see the WWE star in Expendables 4.

I'm no fan of the franchise, but if there's one hope that I have for the fourth film, it's that they stop populating these movies with young actors like Kellan Lutz or Liam Hemsworth. Nothing against them, but aren't Stallone, Arnold, Statham, and the more seasoned actors worth the price of admission alone? They're the draw of this series, not the young kids they try to bring in.