Fans of THE EXPENDABLES movies have both a reason to rejoice and a reason to pout today. Sylvester Stallone made an announcement through his Twitter account that blockbuster action hero royalty will be joining his next ensemble adventure. Harrison Ford has apparently said YES to THE EXPENDABLES 3, which is to be directed by Patrick Hughes. The Tweet announces Ford is in, but also states Bruce Willis (who appeared in the first two movies) is “out”, and Stallone followed that Tweet with another one that is suspected to be a jab at Willis. You can see those below. Kellan Lutz is also said to be in talks for the third installment, joining returning stars Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren, Terry Crews and Randy Couture. There have been rumors circling that Mel Gibson might play a villain (he’s playing a baddie in MACHETE KILLS), and there’s also talk that Jackie Chan, Steven Seagal, and Wesley Snipes may join the cast.
WILLIS OUT… HARRISON FORD IN !!!! GREAT NEWS !!!!! Been waiting years for this!!!!
— Sylvester Stallone (@TheSlyStallone) August 6, 2013
GREEDY AND LAZY …… A SURE FORMULA FOR CAREER FAILURE
— Sylvester Stallone (@TheSlyStallone) August 6, 2013
Now while there’s no definitive proof that second comment is specifically about Willis, that could be safely assumed. Oddly enough, as much as I like the DIE HARD franchise, I found this year’s A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD to be “lazy” anyway. One can only wonder if Bruce is getting a little tired and disenchanted in his old age. With all the stars Stallone is courting for the third outing, and now Ford signing on, will anyone even miss Willis in the lineup?
And then there’s Indiana Jones, or specifically the possibility of INDIANA JONES 5. While INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL (2008) made decent money in the box office, it was a bit of a letdown for fans and critics, and just didn’t seem to have that classic Indy magic. Ford recently did an interview with The Telegraph for his upcoming movie PARANOIA, and addressed the question of whether or not he would want to return to the role at the age of 71, saying the following:
We’ve seen the character develop and grow over a period of time and it’s perfectly appropriate and okay for him to come back again with a great movie around him where he doesn’t necessarily have to kick as much ass. To me, what was interesting about the character was that he prevailed, that he had courage, that he had wit, that he had intelligence, that he was frightened and that he still managed to survive. That I can do.
While I’m probably one of the biggest Indiana Jones fans in the world, I can’t help but wonder if another movie is really a good idea at this point. Steven Spielberg seems to have a lot on his plate, though George Lucas may actually have some newfound free time thanks to handing over the reigns of Lucasfilm to Kathleen Kennedy… and let’s not forget the pedigree Kennedy has and what she could bring to a fifth Indy movie from the Lucasfilm side of it. Maybe it could work, but the real question is whether or not people want a more subdued Indiana Jones, or at least one that doesn’t kick as much ass as we’re used to. What do you think? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.