THE EXPENDABLES 2 (Simon West, 2012)

[Geoff]

Oh dear, whos feathers has Tom Jane ruffled??? Silver's is a bad idea, look what happened to Seagal after Exit Wounds.... He's lucky he got let off after the Executive Decision debacle...

Its Silver and Dark Castle all over. Nowt to do with TJ as Joel Silver thinks that a more (lets say ethnic) person would make a better partner for Sly. Its complete crap really he has taken the formula from Lethal Weapon and 48hrs (not to mention Exit Wounds, Cradle 2 the Grave etc) and tried to apply it here which is completly the wrong move. However Sly and Walter Hill are both against it so who knows....

But im getting off topic, Sorry Jox.

[leigh1975]

I'd love to see Walter Hill to come back with a hard actioner, he seems to have stick with westerns since the Supernova debacle. Extreme Prejudice is amazing...

[Jox]

I don't know when this is supposed to film but now Stallone is also attached to replace Arnold ("Give this job to my friend he loves playing in the jungle" ) in Korean director Ji-Woon Kim's (FOUL KING, A TALE TWO SISTERS, I SAW THE DEVIL) american debuts, THE LAST STAND...
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/s ... ble-193760

[Jox]

There's still a rumor that a tentative start is for September but I don't really buy it.

[T100]

simon west is directing!!

http://www.deadline.com/2011/06/simon-w ... ndables-2/

"EXCLUSIVE: After a long search, Simon West is the choice to direct The Expendables 2, the sequel to the 2010 surprise hit action film. West, who most recently directed the CBS Films remake of The Mechanic with Jason Statham and Ben Foster, also directed Con Air, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and The General's Daughter. Production begins in the summer.

The sequel is expected to have back an original cast that includes Sylvester Stallone, Statham, Dolph Lundgren, Mickey Rourke, Terry Crews and Jet Li. Stallone directed the original, which grossed $275 million worldwide, $103 million domestic. The film's produced by Millennium Films and will be released by Lionsgate. West is repped by CAA."

[Moltisanti]

Sort of mixed on this decision. I did enjoy THE MECHANIC remake but West feels like too much of a journeyman. Not that there was ever a chance of a huge name signing on to direct this but I was hoping for someone young and hungry that would have brought some fresh enthusiasm to the production.

But on the bright side, since West did CON AIR and just worked again with Nicolas Cage on THE MEDALLION maybe he can convince Cage to sign on for E2.

[Jox]

Simon West? Hummm, weird since I heard Sly wouldn't direct it couldn't be otherwise, but I get it especially since he just worked for Nu Image / Millennium too. Well we'll see...! And of course we know Sly will be watching, and won't hesitate to dump him if things don't go his way... OK so if they move their asses they could maybe start rolling cameras mid or end of September...

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118038645

[MFS]

Hm, never considered Simon West. He is pretty good though, Con Air was great and The Mechanic was better than I expected. I think he'll do a good job. And besides, Sly and Dolph can take turn to sneak behind the camera and give him orders.

[leigh1975]

West is a bit of a hack, I can foresee a lotta co-directing directing going on, Poltergeist-style... it's what Spielberg did with Tobe Hooper while he was making E.T.

[Jox]

We know Sly has never been far behind his directors (George P. Cosmatos, Peter McDonald, Andrei Konchalovski etc), especially on his babies like RAMBO (and now THE EXPENDABLES being one of them) and he doesn't hesitate to replace people directors and cinematographers alike, even after filming has already well begun (Russell Mulcahy being one of the most famous examples on RAMBO III).

[Ivan Drago]

Any chance Simon West can recreate what he had on Con Air with a bunch of recognizable actors in colorful supporting roles as bad guys? It's The Expendables versus Michael Ironside, Robert Davi, Billy Drago, Danny Trejo, Ving Rhames, Ray Wise, Lance Henriksen, Michael Wincott, Nick Chinlund, James Remar, Robert Patrick, Peter Weller, Ron Perlman and... Bruce Campbell!!!

[Jox]

TE2 filming, partly, at Nu Image/Millennium Nu Boyana studios in Sofia, Bulgaria? (after CONAN, BLACK DAHLIA and of course CP, DC, TM etc...)
http://sofiaecho.com/2011/06/17/1107595 ... ia+Echo%29

[T100]

jox u were right around september for shooting time;. Has dolph mentioned clearing his schedule around september/october?

[Jox]

Yeah Dolph's schedule shall be open at this time, ONE IN THE CHAMBER/THE PACKAGE should both be wrapped and as I said before he 's been waiting to schedule SKIN TRADE in order to make time for TE2.

[Tom]

Well, there's worse choices out there, and better. I really enjoyed Con Air. West has never really been one for dramatic weight or subtlety, but then again, that's not exactly highest priority in a film like this.

Hopefully Sly can just concentrate on the acting and writing a bit more. Certainly, the hodge podge script of the last one needs to be better. He should consider hiring another established writer to work with him and properly developing a settle idea. He changed far too much, far too late, in the last film. As a result it felt disjointed at times and a little sloppy.