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Ahem…but where is The Rock?

Kim Hollis: Do you expect to see more films with all-star action casts like The Expendables in the future, or do you think this was a one-off?

Bruce Hall: I want so very much to say that this is a one off. But at as I mentioned earlier this is a business, and in business when something works you can bet your biceps we’ll see more of it. Just like the '80s action fluff that inspired it, The Expendables was by no means a good film. But it was breezy, mindless fun with lots of explosions and brutal R-rated violence, and it sports a cast that should have any self respecting action junkie frothing at the mouth.

Just a moment, I need to wipe my mouth.

That’s better. I think this movie was successful because perfectly accomplished what it set out to do; it easily cleared the low bar it set for itself. But I think that the inevitable imitators – or sequels – might find it harder going. The "One Man Army" flick with the sneering, indestructible Type A hero, ripped lats and rocket launchers fizzled out for a reason. They quickly became laughable parodies of themselves, and audiences grew tired of the joke. I think there may be a brief resurgence of this type of film but I predict that it will be short lived.

Just please don’t tell Stone Cold Steve Austin that I said that.





Josh Spiegel: I hope it was a one-off. I have no idea if it will be. Bruce uses the phrase "laughable parodies of themselves" to describe '80s action stars who did these kinds of movies. I see this movie as a laughable parody. So I'm clearly the worst person to ask about this movie. From a business standpoint, it's hard to not see Lionsgate working to make a sequel; money is money.

Reagen Sulewski: The two big problems with these ensembles is salaries and scheduling, and tends to nip a lot of them in the bud. Clooney managed it with the Ocean movies and Stallone is probably his testosterone-fueled action equivalent, but I don't know who else is going to be able to convince all these actors to do that for him. That aside, there's clearly a taste for throwing a bunch of stars into an ensemble and seeing whether or not it works, so someone's clearly going to try again.

Matthew Huntley: Definitely more. And it won't just be from the action genre. For instance, I could see high-profile actresses getting together to make an all-star romantic comedy (perhaps Meg Ryan and Sandra Bullock will team up); or a reunion between all the '80s brat pack members to make a modern-day John Hughes coming-of-age comedy. The trend of trying to rejuvenate old franchises (and careers) is far from over.

Jim Van Nest: Before this weekend, I would have said a one-off. After it opened bigger than expected, I'm afraid we'll have more of these down the pipe. And they'll suck and it will be one of the shorter trends in a while. I could easily see Stallone trying a sequel. I could also see the Brat Pack try to have one more day in the sun as a result of this - '80s nostalgia and all that. Either way, Expendables copycats will do nothing but weaken cinema in general and they really should just let this one stand alone.

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