The first full theatrical trailer for The Expendable 2 has landed. As most can probably tell, this movie is absolutely loaded with action stars including the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger who previously only cameo’d in the franchise; however, the addition to watch could easily be Liam Hemsworth who is coming off the red hot debut of The Hunger Games saga.
Big changes are expected this time around because the formula that was a theatrical hit two years ago is out of the box, and generally speaking the movie did not fare well with critics or audiences. Historically, the latter speaks more to the potential success of a sequel which is probably why Lionsgate recruited Con Air director Simon West to take the reins from Sylvester Stallone who helmed the original.
That is not to say that audiences are opposed to second chances. It just becomes this uphill battle where studios have to admit fault for the original in order to elevate lowered expectations. We have seen this done before as 2009′s Fast and the Furious was despised by critics, but still managed to spawn a more popular successor in the form of Fast Five because of its redeeming qualities.
Another such example of this would be what Paramount is trying to do with the G.I. Joe series. In a more extreme take on things, the studio recruited Dwayne Johnson and slapped a quasi-reboot label in the press on Retaliation. All early signs are pointing to success as the Jon M. Chu-directed movie is already generating strong early buzz from its promotional materials.
With that being said, it is completely within the realm of possibility that The Expendables will be able to replicate its $274 million global box office performance from two years ago. Even if fans are not digging the former governor and Hemsworth, the cast still includes the likes of Jason Statham, Jet Li, Bruce Willis, Terry Cruz, Chuck Norris, Dolph Lundgren, Jean-Claude Van Damme, and Randy Couture which is certainly enough to blow the minds of any time travelers from the 1990′s.