Category: 2023

The Expendables make the cover as well as seven page feature story by Chris Hewitt in the June 2010 issue of Empire.  Here are a few highlights…

Sly talking about putting the team together –
“The first one I thought about was Jason.  Then I thought,  ‘Hmm, why not go in a completely different direction, and go with Jet Li? Now it became an international situation. Then I realized I wanted to have a nemesis here, but I didn’t want it to be an indiscriminate choice or an unknown. First I went to Claude Van Damme (sic), then Steven Seagal and  all these action guys.   Either they didn’t see eye-to-eye with me or they had other things on their agenda.”  

According to the article Seagal passed because he had a commitment to Robert Rodriguez’s Machete and his “ludiecrus” tv show Steven Seagal Lawman.  The article goes on to say JCVD publicly passed saying Sly told him he would “make lots of money and no details to his character.”

Sly responded…
“He (JCVD) actually made some comments which were erroneous. I did say the film could be successful and he interpreted it as something else.  I like Claude, but he has his own agenda and I think he started to complicate a rather simple scenario.”

As the cast grew Sly shaped the screenplay to get the most from his new co-stars.

Sly said…
“Everyone one of these fellas had their own film or had their career. They’re all very diverse and distinct personalities.   As these personalities need to be served, it forces me to write for them in a voice that is their voice.  But it constantly changed.  We did about 100 drafts.”

Sly went on to say…

“I’m real happy with it.  Most action films are a one-man show.  This is an eight-man show, and it has a lot of heart.  It’s not about who’s tougher or who’s braver.  I think we got it.”