Dolph Lundgren Talks “Expendables”

On November 17, 2010, Spinoff Online posted a nice little interview with Dolph Lundgren about his role in “The Expendables.” Here are a couple of quotes…

Dolph on his character: “In the original draft, the character [Gunnar] died and was not brought back, but then we started shooting and things changed after a little bit. Actually, there was a bigger scene at the end where suddenly Gunnar came back in an even bigger moment, but then we changed it to a more subtle revival the way it is now where he shows up. That was more tasteful, I thought.

Dolph on setting up his fight scene with Jet Li: “It gets a little erratic on the set because you have Stallone, you have the stunt coordinator, you have a couple of Jet Li’s fight coordinators…and everybody’s trying to get in there and have their say. Obviously, everyone is a bit overworked, and there’s a lot of time pressure. So it’s easy for a real punch to slip in there, but I’m kind of used to that. I still spar in real life, so it doesn’t bother me very much. But there were an unusual number of cooks for that fight because, like I said, all of the coordinators, but Stallone came in – he had been shooting somewhere else, and it was a hot day…one of the hottest when we were filming in New Orleans – and he came in and was like [Puts on Stallone accepts] “Hey, yeah…we’re going to shoot like this…”

You can read the full interview here.

On November 17, 2010, MovieWeb posted a great little interview with Dolph where he talked about “The Expendables” and his next projects.  Here are a couple of quotes:

Dolph on how Sly has changed as a director between “Rocky IV” and “The Expendables”: On Rocky IV he was very detailed oriented. He was very intense. He didn’t leave anything to chance. He wants it right. He keeps shooting until he gets it. It was the same this time. I’d worked with other directors in-between. Like Roland Emmerich and John Woo. There is a certain intensity to Sly that these other people don’t have. There is another level. Obviously, he has matured a bit as a man. I think he took more time in talking to the actors about their performances. Maybe he was a little more patient. Basically, ninety percent of it was the same. It was physically intense. He has a “take no prisoners” type of attitude as a director.

Dolph on who he’d like to see join the Expendables sequel: I think Jean-Claude Van Damme would be fun. I’d love to see him in it as a bad guy. Because he has never really played that. I think that would be a big draw. The other guys that I really like in the genre are Wesley Snipes. Vin Diesel. There are a few guys that I really like. There are a few young guys that I really like, too. It could be interesting. There is always Chuck Norris, of course (laughs).

To read the full interview, go here.

Dolph also did a Q&A with ScreenJunkies.  Here’s a taste:

Dolph on movie fights and squaring off against Jet Li in The Expendables: The experience was most guys you fight in a movie aren’t movie stars. They’re extras or doubles or stunt men. It’s very rare you fight someone like Stallone or Van Damme if you’re a name actor. That’s always a highlight. Last time I fought somebody like that I guess would have been Van Damme in Universal Soldier, where the actor can fight so you’re actually with the actor.

You can read the whole piece here.

On November 20, 2010, Dolph spoke with WorstPreviews.  You know the drill…

Dolph on how he learned about The Expendables:    What happened was Stallone called me out of the blue and just said (in Stallone’s voice) ‘Hey Dolph, you know. Here’s a script, you know. Ay yo, check it out.’ So I checked it out and then I checked out the character he told me to look at, Gunner Jensen, the crazy Swedish psycho who drinks too much and kills people. And I thought ‘Ok,’ I understand why he called me, I can do this.

Dolph on why there are no Hollywood tough guys anymore… “Society has changed. Look at John Wayne and Robert Mitchum, they were guys who would have bar fights and carried real guns on the set. It was a different era. People fought in the second World War. Jimmy Stewart bombed in missions over Germany and was shot at by real bullets. Can you imagine some movie star today flying over Iraq and going in there getting shot at for real? That would never happen. They were just much tougher people. That rubbed off on the cinema.”

Here’s a link to the whole piece.

Sly and His Toys

SZoner, Hideo is back with some cool new photos of Sly in Japan. Take it away, Hideo:

  • Hi, Craig! It’s HIDEO!
  • I found an interesting interview of SLY.

http://www.hottoys.jp/magazine/celeb/175.html
http://www.hottoys.jp/magazine/celeb/175_2.html

Please enjoy!

    • P.S. I translated those articles for English speaking persons. But, my English is very poor. Sorry. You can correct my wrong English, please. Take care!

    -About Barney Ross

    “The figure released before was well-done, and this Barney Ross is well-done, too!
    It becomes better and better, unbelievable! By the way, how about the tattoo? “

    (Costume unclothed and Sly saw tattoo.)

    “Wow! It is the very movie image. “

    -Watching Rocky3 figure

    “This is a figure of Rocky 3, I have this one! “

    (Comparing a figure of Rocky balboa with Barney Ross)
    “Uuum, I get old, the figure gets old. “

    (Toward the staff)
    “Hey! Watch, guys! The position of Barney’s hairline is higher than Rocky!
    Oh, my god! Thank you, HOT TOYS! For such a real reproduction!”

    -About HOT TOYS

    “Thank you for making wonderful figures of Rocky, Rambo, and this “The
    Expendables”. I think HOT TOYS is a world’s best toymaker.”

    -About The Expendables

    “I wrote the script, supervised it, and played the leading part. And
    this time, I was able to act with my wonderful friends.
    I am sure it is the best movie of my works, and I want to say to Japanese fans, “please
    enjoy”. And I thank for HOT TOYS having done splendid support that released
    this figure.”

    -The time limit for interview was planned until here, but Sly was satisfied with the figure of Barney, and continued talking more.

    ” I have one idea. I want to propose HOT TOYS, if you can make products with all these quality, to make costumes and replicas of the prop on 1/1 scales! One more. If a figure of Barney is completed, I will sign ten figures and will exhibit at charity auction for underprivileged children. I have exhibited a boxing glove of “Rocky” to charity before.”

    -Dolph Lundgren appears.

    (Sly invites Dolph, and showing the figure of Rocky.)
    Sly: “Have you ever seen this?”

    Dolph: “Yeah, my Drago is like that, too”.

    Sly: “The muscles grow well! “

    Dolph: “That’s true! “

    (Toward the coverage staff )
    Sly: “Why don’t you make his latest figure?”

    Dolph: “Make my thing again! Ha-ha! “

    Thanks to Hideo, once again for the great find! – Craig

    Stallone Fan Art

    SZoner, Sherry Hutchinson is back with a piece she calls Surreal Stallone.  Take it away, Sherry

    Craig,
    Well, here is the latest.  It is a bit different.  Kind of a morph of Rocky, Rambo and Expendables.  His chest is the 1955 Ford from Expendables.  Also see Oscar, Philly steps, Rambo knife, raven, live simply whale, weights and Butkus.
    Could you ask for comments to be sent to sherry_hutchison@yahoo.com?  I love to hear what people think.
    Thanks,
    Sherry
    I love the thought that went into this one.  Thanks for sharing your talents. – Craig

    SZ Exclusive: Stallone Expendables Statue Coming!

    SZoner, Edinho Maga who does all of the great statues for the Hollywood Collectibles Group wrote in to say that he’s working on a piece for them of Sly from The ExpendablesEdinho also sent in a couple of photos to show his progress.

    I can not wait to see the Hollywood Collectibles Group’s treatment for this piece.  You just know it will be first rate and look great in your collection.  I know it will in mine.

    Don’t forget that the Rocky statue and the second Rambo statue (both from Hollywood Collectibles) are still available.– Craig