Spinoff of Sylvester Stallone’s $855M Action Franchise Officially Happening After 12 Years in Development Hell

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The action film The Expendables, starring Sylvester Stallone, came out in 2010. While critics weren’t overly impressed (it has a 41% rating on Rotten Tomatoes), the movie was a box office success, earning $274.4 million worldwide and launching a series of sequels. Three sequels have been released since then, with the latest being Expend4bles in 2023. There were also plans for a spin-off featuring a female team, but that project stalled. Many assumed it was canceled, but now The Expendabelles appears to be back in development.

Eclectic Pictures and Hollywood Ventures Group are developing a new film based on The Expendables, but with a female-led cast, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter. While no actors, director, or writers are confirmed yet, the movie will be an origin story set in the late 1990s, tapping into the anxieties surrounding the Y2K scare and global political instability. Currently referred to unofficially as The Expendabelles, the film is intended to stand on its own as a complete story, while also adding depth to the existing Expendables world.

Will The Expendabelles Actually Happen?

A spin-off film featuring a female team inspired by The Expendables seemed like a good idea when it was first discussed in the early 2010s. The original Expendables movies were very successful, especially The Expendables 2 in 2012, which earned over $314 million worldwide. However, the series has struggled recently. The latest installment, Expend4bles, received poor reviews and performed poorly at the box office, earning only $51.1 million despite costing $100 million to make and receiving a low 14% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Most film series would be finished with results like that, but The Expendables unexpectedly got a second chance when Lionsgate took over distributing the movies worldwide. Lionsgate wouldn’t invest in a project they didn’t plan to release, so it seems likely they’re serious about making The Expendabelles happen. According to The Hollywood Reporter, producers are currently building a team to work on the film, suggesting we might hear more news about The Expendabelles soon.

Although a release date hasn’t been announced, The Expendabelles might move quickly into production if everything comes together smoothly. The biggest challenge is finding the perfect cast. The film aims to introduce a new team of skilled female action heroes, suggesting they’re intended to become the future of the franchise. This will only work if audiences connect with the team the filmmakers create. The original Expendables movies were popular because they brought together iconic action stars, similar to The Avengers. The Expendabelles should follow that example by casting a mix of established veterans and rising stars.

With the disappointing performance of Expend4bles, it’s clear that audiences may have lost interest in the franchise. Usually, studios create spin-offs when a series is at its most popular and fans are eager for more. While the Expendables films are showing declining returns, a spin-off like The Expendabelles could potentially revitalize the series with a strong cast and director. A fresh perspective might be exactly what The Expendables needs to regain its momentum and energy.

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2026-05-15 21:10